MANILA, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Philippine troops killed four alleged fighters of the Abu Sayyaf Group in a clash that broke out before dawn on Wednesday in Basilan province in the southern Philippines, the military said.
Brigadier General Fernando Reyeg of the military's Task Force Basilan said heavy firefight ensued between government forces and the Abu Sayyaf militants in far-flung Bohe Pahu village in Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan, an island province and known lair of the violent militants.
"Close air support was immediately deployed to go after the fleeing bandits," Reyeg said, adding that troops "are currently on the ground to pin down the Abu Sayyaf who are on the run and are evading military forces."
He said troops also recovered three high-powered firearms at the clash site, including an M16 assault rifle, an M14 rifle and an R4 assault rifle.
"Troops continue to scour the area," Reyeg added.
Abu Sayyaf militants are a collection of armed criminals operating mainly in the country's southernmost island provinces of Basilan and Sulu.
The group gained a worldwide notoriety with a series of kidnappings and beheadings.
The Philippine government has formed an entire army division to hunt down the militants blamed for kidnappings and bombings in the southern region, including the Jan. 27 twin blasts in a church in Sulu that killed 26 and injured more than 100.
