The Philippine military has conducted airstrikes targeting the Abu Sayyaf terrorist organization that conducted an attack that killed at least 20 people on Sunday in a church. The strikes come after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the annihilation of the Abu Sayyaf group.
The strikes were carried out in Sulu province on Tuesday to support ground troops pursuing suspects, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. The church bombing attack was carried out by suicide bombers belonging to the organization that has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group; an attack that has been claimed ISIS.
The church bombing was the first of three deadly attacks in three days in the southern Philippines, an escalation of violence that comes just a week after a vote in the Muslim-majority region for expanded independence.
Abu Sayyaf, that has pledged allegiance to ISIS has been inciting sectarian divide and conflict in the southern region of the Philippines. The attacks appear to undermine the objective of the recent referendum to bring peace to the conflict-ridden Mindanao islands.
