5 dead, 8 wounded in military, Abu Sayyaf clash in S. Philippines

Philippine military staged an attack on Abu Sayyaf militants in southern Philippine province of Basilan on Thursday, leaving at least five people dead, including three Abu Sayyaf members, a security official said Friday.

The clash occurred at the village of Ungkaya in Pukan town around 1 p.m. when two platoons of soldiers from government's 18th Infantry Battalion backed by the military intelligence on their way to track down the Abu Sayyaf faction met with the group, said Rowena Muyuela, spokesperson of Western Mindanao Command ( Westmincom).

The dead Abu Sayyaf militants were tagged as those involved in the abduction of U.S. national Gerfa Yeatts Lunsmann and her son Kevin Eric two years ago.

"One of those killed was an Abu Sayyaf sub-leader and two others were his followers," Muyaela said.

"The Abu Sayyaf group retreated with seven wounded companions. The firefight also left two civilian volunteers dead and another wounded who aided the government troops in the area," Muyuela added.

Muyuela identified the slain Abu Sayyaf sub-leader as Sulaiman Ajanti alias Ulay while his two followers were unidentified.