Philippine troops today battled Abu Sayyaf militants blamed for the kidnappings of several foreigners and Filipinos in the restive south, leaving at least five soldiers and extremists dead, a military commander said.
At least 26 other soldiers were wounded in the clash in Sulu province's mountainous Talipao town, army Col Allan Arrojado said. The fighting eased by nightfall and government forces were pursuing about 300 militants, who split into smaller groups and withdrew, he said.
He described it as "a major encounter," and added in a text message: "We are tracking their whereabouts."
A military officer involved in today's fighting said another soldier was missing and the wounded troops were to be airlifted to a military hospital. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to reporters about the ongoing operation.
The militants were reportedly under Radulan Sahiron, a one-armed Abu Sayyaf commander long wanted by US and Philippine governments for his alleged involvement in many terrorist attacks and kidnappings. It was not immediately clear if the militant, now in his 70s, was himself involved in the fighting.
President Benigno Aquino III has ordered the military to crack down on the militants after they freed two German tourists on Oct 17 reportedly after a huge ransom payment. It led to concerns that the money could be used by the resilient Abu Sayyaf to acquire more weapons.
The militants are holding several other hostages in Sulu's dense jungles, including two European birdwatchers, who were seized more than two years ago, and a Malaysian police officer, who was recently abducted in Malaysia's Sabah state on Borneo Island, which is a few hours away by speedboat from Sulu.
The Abu Sayyaf, a loose grouping of about 400 mostly poor rural fighters, has turned to ransom kidnappings, extortion and other crimes to endure years of battle setbacks dealt by US military-backed Philippine offensives.
The extremist group has had links to the al-Qaida terrorist network and is on a US list of terrorist organisations for deadly bombings, kidnappings and beheadings.
