Philippine marines have killed an Abu Sayyaf extremist commander and a notorious kidnapper who had sailed across the sea border into Malaysia to snatch tourists and sailors for ransom.
Military chief General Eduardo Ano told the Associated Press on Saturday that Alhabsy Misaya was slain in a clash with marines late on Friday in the jungle in Sulu province.
He said Misaya's body was identified by captured Abu Sayyaf militants.
Misaya has been blamed for abductions of dozens of Malaysians and Indonesian hostages, including one who was beheaded.
"We consider him the most notorious kidnapper from that bandit group and this is a big setback to the Abu Sayyaf," Ano told the AP by phone.
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Misaya had been blamed for the abductions of dozens of Indonesian, Vietnamese and Malaysian crewmen of cargo ships and tugboats plying the busy sea border between the southern Philippines and Malaysia.
He was believed to be holding several abducted Vietnamese sailors in Sulu's jungles but the hostages were apparently not with him during the clash.
A kidnapped Malaysian man was beheaded by Misaya's group in November 2015.
The Philippine military has been undertaking a major offensive against the Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for bombings, ransom kidnappings and beheadings.
