Indonesian Bombers Blamed For Deadly Church Attack 

Philippine security officials have identified two Indonesians who they believe conducted a suicide bombing at a church on the island of Jolo, reports CNN Philippines. 

The perpetrators of the Jan. 27 attack were a couple, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said Friday.

Ano confirmed speculation that the attack, which killed 22 people and wounded more than 100, was a suicide operation. 

The attackers were helped by local members of an Abu Sayyaf cell known as Ajang Ajang, he said. 

The news comes as Philippine forces battle Abu Sayyaf militants on the island, reported Benar News (Philippines). 

On Thursday, about 5,000 elite troops mobilized for the operation against the ISIS affiliate. 

Soldiers from the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion battled about 20 Abu Sayyaf fighters near Patikul, said the military. 

The military called in airstrikes during the fighting. There were no immediate reports of casualties. 

Hundreds of families have fled the fighting.