3 Gov't troops wounded in clash with renegade Islamic rebels in S. Philippines

Three government security forces were wounded Saturday as they clashed with renegade Islamic rebels in the southern Philippines. Col. Santiago Baluyot, a military ground commander, said soldiers in the township of Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay province were about to serve an arrest warrant around 3:00 p.m. for Waning Abdusallam, a notorious leader of the lawless group affiliated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front but they were attacked along the road. A fighting erupted, leaving two soldiers and a militia wounded. The ambushers later fled, Baluyot said. Lawmen earlier received report citing kidnapped victim Monalisa Capa, whose family is engaged in business of gasoline station, fishing and ice making, is being kept by her captors in the area. She was taken by 10 armed men on earlier this month in the town proper of Pitogo in Zamaboanga del Sur province.