[Inquirer] At least 14 people were killed - ten of them Abu Sayyaf rebels - during a fierce clash amid an intensified anti-Abu Sayyaf operation in Patikul, Sulu, on Friday.Military spokesman Filemon Tan said four soldiers were slain while nine other soldiers had been injured in the encounter. The Abu Sayyaf suffered undetermined number of injuries, he added. Tan said out of the ten killed rebels, only three bodies had been recovered so far.
The battle broke out when Philippine troops stumbled on a large group of about 150 insurgents under Radullan Sahiron in Barangay Buhanginan. Tan said the gun battle lasted for almost 45 minutes and stopped only when the Abu Sayyaf withdrew. Tan said troops continued to pursue the group while support units fired 105-millimeter howitzers.