2016 Battle of Basilan
| Battle of Tipo-Tipo | |||||||
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| Part of the Moro Conflict | |||||||
 view of Basilan (red) within Mindanao (yellow) and the Philippines (orange) |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Philippines
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 Abu Sayyaf
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Benigno Aquino III Hernando Iriberri Elmer Suderio |
Isnilon Hapilon Ubaida Hapilon †
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| Units involved | |||||||
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Unknown | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~100 soldiers | 100–120 militants | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 18 killed, 56 wounded | 31 killed | ||||||
Armed Forces of the Philippines
The Battle of Tipo-Tipo was a military engagement that began in 9 April 2016 at Tipo-Tipo, Basilan Island, Philippines between forces of the Philippine Army and members of the Abu Sayyaf militant group. The battle resulted in dozens of casualties, with at least 18 soldiers and 31 militants reported killed, and more than 70 others injured. It was the largest single loss of life for the Philippine Army since the beginning of the year, and came just a day after the group had released an Italian hostage.
Abu Sayyaf became a part of ISIS in 2014 when nearly all of its members, including its leader Isnilon Hapilon, pledged allegiance to the said group. The Philippine government dismissed this news as a threat.
The Philippine military pledged that on 9 April 2016, which that day is also the National Day of Valor, they will conduct an offensive aimed at wiping out the militant groups in the island.
Clashes erupted around 8am on 9 April as troops entered Tipo-Tipo in search of Abu Sayyaf insurgents. A group of more than 100 militants ambushed the government forces, sparking a 10-hour firefight, according to Major Filemon Tan, a spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command of the Philippine Army. News reports indicated an entire platoon was wiped out, with at least four soldiers being beheaded by militants. Among those killed were Ubaida Hapilon, son of the regional commander Isnilon Hapilon, as well as Mohammad Khattab, a Moroccan bomb maker and extremist preacher.
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Wikipedia