Government troops patrol Basilan province in southern Philippines. Mindanao Examiner Photo
BASILAN PROVINCE (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 6, 2013) – Three government soldiers were killed in a clash with suspected Abu Sayyaf rebels in the southern Philippine province of Basilan.
According to the Mindanao Human Rights Action Center, the weekend fighting erupted in the village of Silangkum in Tipo-Tipo town. The soldiers were patrolling the village when they ran into a group of rebels, sparking the clashes.
The fighting also triggered a mass evacuation and the some 300 villagers have fled their homes for fear they would be caught in the cross-fire.
Village officials said some of the civilians have returned home. The human rights center said it is monitoring the situation in the town.
There was no immediate statement from the army about the fighting or the displacement of civilians due to the violence. (Mindanao Examiner)
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