Sulu fighting death toll rises to 57

Casualties of war in Sulu. Killed and wounded soldiers from the Army's 33rd Infantry Battalion who were taken to the Armed Forces' Western Mindanao (WesMinCom) headquarters in Upper Calarian, Zamboanga City.

The number of soldiers and combined Abu Sayyaf-Moro National Liberation Front militants killed in clashes in Sulu provincie has risen to 57 and 17 others wounded, military officials said on Friday.

Information gathered from the field revealed that the fighting Friday left 15 soldiers dead and 10 others wounded. At least 27 were reportedly killed on the side of combined Abu Sayyaf-MNLF militants.

Since the fighting erupted in Sulu, military sources that 26 Army troops from the 33rd Army's Infantry Battalion and 31 rebels had been killed in a series of clashes in the restive region.

The fighting started on Tuesday when two members of the Philippine Marines were wounded in a firefight with gunmen near Mount Tubora in Indanan town.

On Wednesday early morning, troops from the 33rd IB clashed with suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits near the hinterland village of Upper Sampunay in Parang town. One soldier was killed and five other troops wounded.

The slain soldiers from the same Army unit were onboard a military truck on an administrative assignment when they were ambushed by the group of Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron alias Commander Putol.

The military said the ambushers were rogue members of the MNLF, a Moro rebel group which signed a peace agreement with Philippine government in September 1996.

Five of the 57 slain soldiers in Sulu, mostly former MNLF rebels who were integrated to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), were accorded military honors at Western Mindanao Command headquartes.

Meanwhile, more than 4,000 people in Sulu have fled their homes since fighting started, the Department of Social Work and Development in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DSWD-ARMM) said.

DSWD-ARMM Secretary Bai Racma Imam said the number of evacuees may increase as tension in the different towns heightens.

It was learned the evacuees included 775 families from the towns of Parang and Indanan, respectively. Local officials asked national government for relief assistance including foods and medicines.