Two US soldiers, one Filipino trooper killed by landmine (Roundup)

Sep 29, 2009, 9:08 GMT

   Manila - Two US soldiers and one Filipino Marine were killed Tuesday by an improvised landmine in the southern Philippines where American troops were helping hunt down Islamic militants, a military spokesman said.

   Two Filipino Marines were also injured when the US armoured jeep hit the mine in Indanan town on Jolo island, about 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Lieutenant Colonel Romeo Brawner said.

   Brawner said there were no suspects yet, but Jolo island is a stronghold of al-Qaeda-linked Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels who have been the subject of US-backed counter-terrorism operations by the Philippine military.

   'The US servicemen were non-combatants, they were members of the US Seabees,' he said. 'They were in the area to supervise development projects when they were attacked.'

   Brawner said the US soldiers were helping construct a 5-kilometre farm road in the village of Kagay. The troops earlier helped build a medical clinic, an elementary school fence, a public toilet, a volleyball court and water system in Kagay.

   'We would like to emphasize that they were not in combat and they were escorted and were being secured by members of the Philippine Marines,' he said.

   The US embassy said an investigation was underway to determine other details of the attack.

   'They lost their lives serving others and we will always be grateful for their contributions to improve the quality of life on Jolo,' US Ambassador Kristie Kenney said.

   Hundreds of US forces have been stationed in the southern Philippines since 2002 under a visiting forces agreement forged between Manila and Washington in 1998.

   Philippine legislators, however, are demanding a renegotiation of the agreement which they noted failed to specify the period of stay of visiting US forces, or define what activities they can engage in while in the country.