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MANILA, Philippines — Philippine troops suffered one of their worst losses in an offensive against al-Qaeda-linked militants on a southern island, leaving at least 23 soldiers and 20 guerrillas dead, officials said early today.
Troops continued to scour the battlefield following clashes Wednesday with Abu Sayyaf militants in two jungle camps on Basilan Island, said Maj. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino.
“It was a slugfest,” Dolorfino told The Associated Press by telephone. “It was really close-quarter fighting, so we couldn’t use our artillery.”
