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5 Filipino troops killed in clash with militants
AP - 1 hour 31 minutes ago
MANILA, Philippines - Fierce fighting has erupted between Philippine troops and Muslim militants on two southern islands, leaving at least five soldiers dead and scores wounded, officials said Monday.
Troops were pursuing al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf militants blamed for a recent spike in ransom kidnappings when they came under attack in Al-Barka township on Basilan island on Sunday, military spokeswoman Lt. Steffani Cacho said.
She said the attackers included Abu Sayyaf guerrillas, who recently snatched seven construction workers, a 9-year-old and a nursing student, as well some members of the main Muslim separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The group's spokesman, Eid Kabalu, on Monday denied the rebels were involved.
Cacho said five troops were killed and 24 wounded in a village in Al-Barka, which she described as a notorious transit point for kidnappers and criminals.
The injured included an air force pilot whose OV-10 plane was hit but did not crash, she said.
Fighting also was reported on nearby Jolo island, where an additional 11 soldiers were wounded, she said.
Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino said the fighting involved hundreds of marines from three battalions. He said intercepted intelligence from the rebels indicated at least 50 guerrillas were killed but no bodies were recovered.
Cacho said the objective of the troops was to occupy high ground in Al-Barka and cut off an escape corridor for the rebels.
"It's a vital area catering to kidnapping groups," she said.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has expressed anger over a rise in kidnappings by Muslim militants on Basilan and nearby islands and ordered troops and police to step up a monthslong crackdown.
Although it has long been crippled by U.S.-backed military offensives, Abu Sayyaf continues to be a threat in predominantly Muslim Basilan, about 550 miles south of Manila.
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