File photo shows Philippine army vehicles making their way to the front line in Maguindanao, in the south of the country. Twenty-four soldiers have been killed and 16 wounded in running battles with Al Qaeda-linked militants in the troubled south, the military has said. (AFP/File)From The International Herald Tribune:
MANILA: As many as five marines and five Muslim separatist rebels were killed during intense fighting in the southern Philippines, military officials said Monday. They said an undetermined number of government troops and rebels were also wounded.
The fighting began Sunday and continued Monday morning in the two Muslim-dominated provinces of Sulu and Basian, islands that the government had earlier declared to be free from terrorists and Islamic extremists after a U.S.-supported counterterrorism campaign that began in 2002.
Officials said Monday that the number of those killed could sharply increase, particularly on the side of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a Muslim separatist group.
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More News On The Civil war in The Philippines
24 soldiers killed in Philippines clashes -- Yahoo News/AFP
Philippines: Troops clash with Islamist militants in south -- ADN Kronos
Army battles al-Qaeda militants in Philippines -- The Telegraph