Suspected Abu Sayyaf fighters have ambushed a convoy of troops going to market to buy food, killing nine and wounding two others on the volatile southern island of Jolo, the Philippine military says.
The group, which has been linked to al-Qaeda and accused of being behind a string of bombings and kidnappings, seized about six M-16 rifles and a two-way radio from the soldiers before fleeing, Major Eugene Batara, a spokesman for the military's Western Mindanao Command, said.
The military said the ambush happened at about 7:30am [23:30 GMT] on the southern island of Jolo near Maimbung town.
Regional military commander Major-General Eugenio Cedo ordered troops to pursue the attackers on Jolo, where US-backed forces have been hunting remnants of the Abu Sayyaf, which the US calls a terrorist organisation.
Helicopters flew to the scene of the fighting to ferry troops and bring back the wounded.