MANILA, July 29 (Xinhua) -- Six members of the Abu Sayyaf Group were killed while 11 government's soldiers were injured in separate skirmishes in southern Philippine provinces of Basilan and Sulu on Friday morning, local authorities said.
Two Abu Sayyaf members were killed in a firefight with soldiers from the Joint Task Force Basilan at Hill 490, barangay Poblacion in Tipo-tipo town in Basilan, said Filemon Tan, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)' Western Mindanao Command.
Tan said the troops were on a security operation when they caught up with undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf Group members at around 6:30 a.m. local time.
The firefight left nine soldiers injured, who were later airlifted to Camp Navarro General Station in Zamboanga City.
In Sulu, four Abu Sayyaf members died in another clash with forces from the Joint Task Force Sulu in barangay Langpas in Indanan town around 8:50 a.m. local time.
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