2 rebels, 1 soldier die in clash in Basilan

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Two members of the rebel group of Abu Sayyaf and a government soldier were killed, while three others got injured in a fierce fighting in Basilan this morning, military disclosed later that day.

According to Captain Jefferson Somera, spokesman for the Philippine Army's 1st Infantry Division, troops of the Army's 1st Scout Ranger Battalion and 64th Infantry Battalion were on security operation around 8 a.m. local time when they caught up with undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf men at barangay Mebak, Sumisip, a town in Basilan province.

As of press time, Somera said the fighting were still ongoing between the two sides. So far, the skirmishes has resulted in the death of a soldier and wounding of another; besides that, the troops have recovered two Abu Sayyaf bodies and captured two others who are wounded, he said.

The wounded soldier and enemies were evacuated to a hospital for treatment, he added.

The Abu Sayyaf was founded in the 1990s and had since perpetrated a number of high-profile attacks, including kidnapping and bombing. The rebel group also has linkages with the Al-Qaeda network and the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiyah.