At least five members of the Muslim Abu Sayyaf group have been killed in a gun battle on Basilan Island in the Philippines.
A US Marines spokesman said Philippine soldiers fought about 20 rebels for 15 minutes in a village on Basilan island near Zamboanga.
Soldiers recovered the body of one of the slain men, five assault rifles, personal belongings and ammunition. The Philippine marines suffered no injuries.
The fighting comes a day after the Philippines and the United States formally opened a training exercise aimed at wiping out the Abu Sayyaf, which has been linked to the al-Qaeda network.
READ MORE
The group is holding two Americans and a Filipino hostage.
AP