Manila, Apr 28 (EFE).– At least 14 members of the Filipino rebel group Abu Sayyaf, which has publicly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, have been killed in army operations in the southern Philippines, military sources said Thursday.

The head of the armed forces’ press department, Col. Noel Detoyato, said the Western Mindanao Command had received reports from civilians in the combat zone indicating that 14 Abu Sayyaf fighters had died in the bombings, the Philippines News Agency said.

The offensive against the group began April 23 on the southern island of Jolo, two days before the expiry of a rebel ultimatum demanding payment of a $19.2 million ransom for the release of two Canadians, a Norwegian and a Filipina they had kidnapped in September on Samal island.

Upon the expiry of the deadline on April 25, the group beheaded Canadian John Ridsel on Jolo island; his severed head was found the same day.

A headless body also was recovered Wednesday in southern Jolo and is being analyzed in Manila to ascertain the victim’s identity.

Abu Sayyaf is still holding around 20 other foreigners captive, including Canada’s Robert Hall, Norway’s Kjartan Sekkingstad, the Netherland’s Ewold Horn (who was abducted in 2012), 14 Indonesian fishermen and four Malaysians who were kidnapped in recent weeks.

Abu Sayyaf was formed in 1991 by a small group of veterans of the Soviet war in Afghanistan and has been blamed for some of the bloodiest attacks in the Philippines, as well as numerous kidnappings for ransom. EFE