ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES (AFP) VS. ABU SAYYAF GROUP (ASG) IN SULU
On January 27, 2019, two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were consecutively detonated at the Roman Catholic Cathedral in Jolo, in the island province of Sulu. The explosions resulted in a reported total of 27 deceased and dozens more injured. As of the evening of said date, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) tagged a faction of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) known as “Ajang-Ajang” as the perpetrators of this attack.
The AFP launched the operation on 29 January in the municipality of Patikul, Sulu – believed to be the stronghold of the ASG. Amid airstrikes and mortar shelling, civilians from the barangays of Anuling and Danag, and in the upper portion of Barangay Latih (all in Patikul) were displaced. Meanwhile, residents from Barangay Bungkaung, also in Patikul, pre-emptively evacuated with assistance from the AFP to ensure their safety.
