ZAMBOANGA CITY: Seven members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) have surrendered to the military in the southern Philippine province of Sulu, with officials saying 174 members of the notorious Muslim extremist group had returned to the fold of the law since January this year.

'The surrender of the former violent extremists was made possible through the intensified intelligence operations of the different intelligence units and the lethal and nonlethal operations of the 1102nd Infantry Brigade under Brig. Gen. Giovanni Franza,' said Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of Joint Task Force Sulu.