Military authorities on Wednesday reported that state troopers have detained 13 suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members in Talipao town in Sulu, near the site of last Friday’s bloody firefight that left at least 15 soldiers and bandits dead and several others injured.

Capt. Rowena Muyuela, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command, said personnel of Joint Task Force Sulu (JTFS) took the 13 into custody during a security operation in the vicinity of Barangay Budbunga and Barangay Kuhaw.