Twelve militants from the Islamic State (IS)-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in central Mindanao have been killed in fresh military operations by the Philippines’ army, Amy Chan reports for Channel News Asia. Security forces in the Philippines said last week that they had thwarted an attempt by pro-IS militates to occupy a town in the southern province of Maguindanao. The clashes followed warnings by President Rodrigo Duterte that remnants of pro-Islamic State militant groups had been recruiting and still planning attacks on several southern cities to set up an independent and separate Islamic state, according to the Asian Correpondent. Duterte will visit Malaysia and hopes to hold a personal meeting with newly-elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad to talk on “insurgency and IS” issues next week, his spokesman said as quoted by Xinhua on Monday.