Six government soldiers, including a junior officer, were killed when they were waylaid by members of the Abu Sayyaf Group in the southern Philippine province of Basilan on Sunday, the military reported.
The troops, from the 64th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, were securing the construction of a 64- kilometer circumferential road project when they were ambushed by at least 20 Abu Sayyaf men at the vicinity of Sitio Mompol in Libug around 7:30 a.m.
Harold Cabunoc, chief of the military's public affairs office, said the six soldiers, including a second lieutenant, were proclaimed dead after 45 minutes of heavy exchange of fires.
Rolando Bautista, commander of the 104th Army Brigade, said the military received information that the group of one Radzmi Jannatul attacked the soldiers.
Bautista said a reinforcement has already been deployed in the area to run after Jannatul's group as he assured that justice will be served for his dead men.