Twenty-six Abu Sayyaf kidnappers, one soldier killed in
\nPhilippine clashes<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse
\nZamboanga City<\/p>\n
At least 26 Abu Sayyaf Muslim gunmen and one soldier were
\nkilled on Sunday while nine other government troops were wounded
\nin fierce clashes in the southern Philippines, an army official
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Army rangers were on patrol in Jolo Island's Talipao town when
\nthey were attacked by Abu Sayyaf guerrillas, triggering running
\ngunbattles resulting in casualties on both sides, military
\nsouthern command operations chief Col. Roland Detabali said.<\/p>\n
He said \"heavy fighting erupted\" and initially involved close-
\nquarter combat.<\/p>\n
Sixteen Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed and their bodies
\nrecovered by troops for identification at the town center.<\/p>\n
One soldier was also slain while nine others were injured.
\nMilitary southern command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu said sporadic
\nclashes continued until late Sunday afternoon, resulting in the
\ndeaths of two other guerrillas and forcing the military to
\ndispatch two MG-520 attack helicopters to support ground troops
\nand pound rebel positions.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile on nearby Basilan island, where another Abu Sayyaf
\nunit is holding two Americans and nine Filipinos captive, a
\ngovernment militiaman was killed and beheaded by the rebels as
\nthey fled troops in Lantawan town, triggering clashes, the
\nmilitary said.<\/p>\n
Cimatu said at least eight Abu Sayyaf gunmen were killed in
\nBasilan in clashes on Sunday.<\/p>\n
He said reports from the field indicate the hostages,
\nincluding the Americans, had been sighted being tagged along by
\nthe rebels in a \"thickly forested\" area on the outskirts of
\nLantawan.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, Peace negotiations between the
\nPhilippines government and Moro rebels were \"suspended\" at the
\nweekend after hitting a snag, a rebel spokesman said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"We cannot agree on certain points. We will go back for
\nconsultation with our principals in the Philippines,\" said Murad
\nEbrahim, military affairs vice chairman of the Moro Islamic
\nLiberation Front (MILF).<\/p>\n
Murad, who headed an 18-member MILF delegation to the six-day
\ntalks in Malaysia, said the two parties disagreed on how to use
\nthe money that would be allocated for development projects in
\nconflict-affected areas.<\/p>\n
The government insisted that it should manage the projects in
\npoverty stricken Mindanao in the south of the country, while the
\nrebels said they should be managed by the MILF.<\/p>",
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