Philippine soldiers killed 10 members of the notorious "Pentagon" kidnapping group which earlier abducted four Chinese nationals -- resulting in the death of two of them -- the local army spokesman said Saturday.
The fighting, which began before dawn in the nearby town of Pikit in the southern island of Mindanao on Saturday, is still raging and threatens to spill over into territory claimed by a Muslim separatist rebel group which is negotiating peace with the government, Major Julieto Ando said in this southern city.
Ando said a member of the kidnapping gang was arrested late Friday and tipped the military off about the location of a "satellite group" of the Pentagon in Pikit town, prompting the soldiers to assault the area a few hours later.
About 20,000 people have fled their homes for fear of getting caught in the fighting.
The Pentagon, a network of kidnappers -- mostly rogue Muslim rebels -- have been abducting people for ransom in the central provinces of Mindanao island in recent months.
They seized four Chinese working on a road project and a Filipino guide in two incidents on June and August. Two of the Chinese were later killed in a military rescue attempt, one escaped and the other was freed after the intercession of the Libyan government. The Filipino guide was also freed.
The Pentagon are also believed responsible for the recent abduction of a seven-year-old son of a Filipino-Chinese trader and the kidnapping of a female rice trader.
The boy was released, reportedly after the local Muslim rebels, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) exerted pressure on the Pentagon but the rice trader is still held hostage.
Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the MILF, said that the clash was taking place close to an area claimed by the rebel group and warned that if it spreads, the MILF might be affected.
However Ando said they would continue pursuing the kidnappers even if they fled into MILF-held areas.
The government and the MILF have signed a ceasefire to allow for the holding of peace talks. Despite this, sporadic clashes between the two sides continue to take place -- (AFP)
