Summary The gun battle took palce in in Tugas village in Sulu province.
MANILA (AP) Philippine military officials say at least seven marines and four Abu Sayyaf militants have been killed in a clash amid an offensive against al-Qaida-linked gunmen accused of carrying out recent kidnappings in the country's south.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan says nine other marines and about 10 Abu Sayyaf fighters were wounded in the gun battle Saturday in Tugas village in Sulu province's coastal town of Patikul. Reinforcement troops, including policemen, were hunting down the gunmen in the jungle.
Philippine troops have stepped up offensives against the Abu Sayyaf, which has threatened U.S.-financed development projects and staged kidnappings of villagers.
