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Philippine Military Clashes With Kidnappers
Muslim extremists holding 20 hostages ¡ª including three Americans ¡ª clashed with the military on the southern Philippines early Friday, military officials and guerrillas said.
Rebel leader Abu Sabaya phoned a local radio station to say his group was under attack. He repeated a threat to kill the hostages.
Near and distant gunfire rang out as he spoke breathlessly to RMN radio station.
Sabaya, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf group, claimed two hostages had been hit by gunfire.
He said the clash started when his men allowed a group of hostages to take a bath in a nearby river. He said advancing troops found them and started firing at the guerrillas.
Col. Jovenal Narcise, leader of an army battalion on southern Basilan island, confirmed the fighting but did not say whether the military had spotted the hostages.
Sabaya said that in addition to the 20 hostages taken Sunday from the Dos Palmas beach resort in the southwestern Philippines, his group also had seized 10 fisherman.
On Thursday, the military threw 5,000 troops into a search for the rebels and their hostages.
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