Seven Filipino soldiers died and 25 others were wounded in a fierce clash with Muslim rebels deep in the jungle of southern Sulu island today.
The fighting broke out early this morning in the village of Maligay, as the troops pursued Abu Sayyaf guerrillas to try to rescue four evangelists kidnapped by the bandits in August. "The fighting is a result of our effort to rescue the victims," said Philippine Armed Forces Southern Chief Lieutenant General Ernesto Carolina.
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"We can not say yet how many [casualties] from the enemy side were inflicted. But the ground forces were sure that the bandits suffered a bigger number," he added.
The United States has linked the Abu Sayyaf to Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda group, prime suspects behind the September 11 attacks.
The Abu Sayyaf says it is fighting for a Muslim homeland in the south of the mainly Roman Catholic Philippines, but its activities are mostly restricted to kidnap for ransom.
In June this year, the military rescued American missionary Gracia Burnham from more than a year of captivity by the Abu Sayyaf, but her husband and a Filipina nurse also held hostage were killed in the fighting.
An American tourist held hostage with the Burnhams, Guillermo Sobero, was beheaded by the group last year.