Philippine navy commandos clash with suspected militants, leaving 10 dead

Philippine troops clashed with suspected Muslim militants on a southern island Tuesday, leaving four navy commandos and six of the guerrillas dead, a military spokesman said.

The fighting took place on the small island of Lanhil, northeast of Basilan island where U.S.-backed troops have been pursuing al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels, said marine spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan.

He said troops were responding to reports from civilians that "lawless elements" had infiltrated Lanhil when the clash erupted. Four commandos and six of the attackers were killed, while two sailors were wounded but in a stable condition, he said.

It was not immediately clear whether the guerrillas belonged to the Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings.

Abu Sayyaf militants and cohorts from Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiyah terror network have used Basilan and nearby Jolo island to evade government forces. According to military officials, they have sought refuge with Muslim separatists who signed a cease-fire with the Manila government.

At least 50 government troops were killed, some of them beheaded, in fighting in July and August.

Last week, two soldiers were killed and 10 wounded on Basilan when troops, searching for Abu Sayyaf militants, clashed with Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels. The MILF rebels have denied links with terrorists.

Arroyo rallies Philippine troops

Tens of thousands of people are fleeing their homes in the southern Philippines as the military steps up its offensive against Abu Sayyaf fighters, sparking the heaviest clashes for years.

The fighting is centred on the mainly Muslim islands of Jolo and Basilan.

On Thursday Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the Philippine president, travelled amid tight security to the southern city of Zamboanga to rally troops and receive a progress briefing from military commanders.

She has vowed to destroy the Abu Sayyaf group - which her government says has links to al-Qaeda – and has deployed thousands of troops to the region.

They are backed up by advisers from US special forces who are helping to train and provide intelligence to Philippine forces although they are barred by the Philippine constitution from taking part in combat operations.

Bomb warning

Earlier this week, Arroyo warned that the renewed military offensive may spark reprisal bomb attacks elsewhere in the country.

Her comments on Tuesday were followed hours later by a bomb explosion in Zamboanga that wounded 14 people.

Speaking after her arrival in the city on Thursday, Arroyo said the military would not be diverted from in its assault on the Abu Sayyaf group.

However, she said she had ordered officials to launch a "humanitarian offensive'' on Basilan and Jolo to balance the military assault.

Later, speaking on the island of Basilan, she praised Philippine troops during a 30 minute flying visit to one of the military's forward bases.

"Thank you for fighting terrorism," she told them.

The upsurge in fighting followed an ambush in mid-July, blamed on the Abu Sayyaf, in which 14 marines died, 10 of them beheaded.

In early August, gun battles in Jolo killed at least 27 army soldiers and 32 Muslim fighters.

The most recent fighting broke out last weekend on Basilan, with 15 soldiers and up to 30 Abu Sayyaf fighters killed.

Relief officials say the fighting has forced nearly 24,000 people to flee their homes in Jolo and Basilan, with 40 hamlets evacuated and 14 schools closed since early July.

"The situation in Basilan remains critical due to ongoing operations against Abu Sayyaf Group targets," the government relief agency said.

This week the government called off planned peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front - the largest Muslim separatist group - although it insists the move was not linked to the upsurge in fighting.

Questions asked

Al Jazeera's Veronica Pedrosa, who is in the southern Philippines, says that with amid mounting numbers of casualties and displaced civilians, more questions are being asked about the offensive.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Moro National Liberation Force, the two main rebel groups, also have a large presence on the two islands.

The military says neither group is being targeted by the current offensive, but army commanders on the ground admit some of their men are fighting alongside Abu Sayyaf.

As a result, there are fears that by stepping up the fight against Abu Sayyaf, the government could widen the conflict.

Think Tank Says U.S. Building Military Base In Southern Philippines

Asian-based think-tank Focus on the Global South (Focus) said on Wednesday there is a strong indication that the U.S. government is building a military base in southern Philippines, which is a violation of the country's Constitution.

Focus research associate Herbert Docena said the U.S. Naval Facilities Engineering Command or Navfac, awarded a $14.4 million contract to Global Contingency Services LLC of Irving, Texas to conduct "operations support" for the Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines.

The JSOTF-P is a component of the U.S. special operations command that were stationed in southern Philippines since 2002. Its primary goal is to provide assistance to the Philippines in its war efforts against terror groups.

"That is what I believe, I think Washington is in the process of building a military base," Docena said,

In a statement, Focus adds, "According to its own Web site, Navfac is the unit within the U.S. military in charge of providing the U.S. Navy with operating, support and training bases."

The group said Navfac gave Global Contingency Services a total five-year $450 million contract to "provide a full range of world-wide contingency and disaster-response services, including humanitarian assistance and interim or transitional base-operating support services."

"The specific contract for work for the JSOTF-P is expected to be completed in Jan. 2008 but other contracts may follow as part of the $450- million package," Focus said.

Docena adds, "JSOTF-P is involved in the Philippine military's operations in the South, and represents the new low-profile kind of overseas presence that the U.S. has been striving to introduce as part of its comprehensive restructuring of its forward-deployment since 2001."

The plan, he explains, is to put up smaller U.S. military bases in regions Washington believes it must have presence.

The governments of the Philippines and the U.S. denies speculations a military base is being planned in any part of the country.