Militants attack Filipino troops, 20 dead

MANILA: Muslim militants attacked an army camp in southern Philippines, sparking three days of clashes leaving three soldiers and 20 attackers dead, the military said. Fighting broke out late Saturday when 40 militants from a still-unspecified group opened fire on the camp in Butig town in Lanao del Sur province. Soldiers held ground, sparking on-and-off clashes in the remote region, military officials said.

About 40 more militants reinforced the attackers Sunday. The military deployed additional troops, bomber planes, helicopter gunships and artillery to the area, military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said.

Residents fled to safety, he said.

“That’s one of our concerns. Some of the fighting happened in a populated area,” Padilla said.

The predominantly Muslim province of Lanao del Sur is about 840 kilometers south of Manila.

The fighting eased Monday but army reinforcements were fired upon in nearby Tugaya town, leaving one soldier dead, he said.

Padilla said the attackers may have come from a group affiliated with an Indonesian terror suspect known only as Sanusi who was killed in Marawi city in the volatile region in 2012.

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