Philippine troops clashed with dozens of Abu Sayyaf militants allied with the Islamic State group in the country’s south yesterday, leaving 11 soldiers dead and 14 others wounded, military officials said. Regional military commander Lt-Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said the army scout rangers were maneuvering for an assault when they engaged about 40 Abu Sayyaf fighters in the forested mountains off Danag village in Patikul town in Sulu province. The gunbattle raged for an hour before the militants withdrew.—AP
