Five killed in clashes in southern Philippines (Roundup)

Oct 11, 2008, 7:44 GMT

   Zamboanga City, Philippines - Five people were killed Saturday in clashes between government troops and insurgent groups in the southern Philippines, military officials said.

   Two soldiers were killed when communist rebels attacked government troops aboard a military truck in Talaingod town, in Davao Del Norte province, 990 kilometres south of Manila, a regional military spokesman said.

   Major Armand Rico said the soldiers were able to repulse the rebels and inflicted an undetermined number of casualties on the guerrilla side.

   Rico said one policeman and one Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebel were also killed in another clash in Kalamansig town in nearby Sultan Kudarat province.

   One suspected Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebel was killed and three were arrested in a shootout with police in the southern island of Jolo, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, according to Marine Major General Juancho Sabban.

   Sabban said the fighting erupted when police accosted a group of armed men they believed had been planning a kidnapping.

   'The armed men appeared to have planned snatching Chinese businessmen, but their attempt was foiled,' said Sabban.

   'Some police officers became suspicious of the unidentified men and went to check on them,' he added. 'The armed men traded shots with the approaching policemen.'

   Sabban said one of the gunmen was killed, while three were arrested after a brief chase. Four managed to flee.

   He said the gunmen were believed to be members of the Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebel group, which has been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines.

   The Abu Sayyaf group has also been blamed for numerous kidnapping-for-ransom cases, including high-profile abductions of foreign tourists in 2000 and 2001.