Nine more Abu Sayyaf militants were slain in continuing clashes with Philippine security forces on the island province of Sulu.Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc said 11 soldiers were injured in the latest fighting with the militants in the hinterlands of the town of Patikul in Sulu, a known Abu Sayyaf haven. He said the troops clashed with about 100 heavily-armed insurgents led by their senior commander Radulan Sahilon. The militants fled after a fierce 45-minute gun battle, leaving behind their nine dead comrades.
Cabunoc said military helicopter gunship sprayed heavy gunfire from the air on the militants, forcing them to scurry in different directions. A team of elite rangers later linked up with the soldiers to help in the clearing operations as well as extricate the injured military personnel.