WORLD BRIEFING / PHILIPPINES
Philippine troops stormed a jungle hide-out of Muslim militants, killing at least two rebel commanders and eight gunmen allegedly involved in a wave of kidnappings for ransom in the troubled south, officials said.
An army officer who helped lead the offensive in a mountainous region near Mohamad Ajul township on Basilan island also died. Three suspected militants were taken in for questioning, said navy Commodore Alex Pama, who heads a regional anti-kidnapping force.
The target was a group of Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants and local gangsters believed to have been involved in the recent beheading of a kidnapped farmer and the abduction of three teachers who were freed Tuesday.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
