MANILA - THE Philippine army says five soldiers have been wounded in separate bomb attacks by suspected Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants they were hunting in the south.
An army spokesman said a homemade bomb sprayed shrapnel that hit three Scout Rangers in a village on Basilan island's Sumisip town Monday.
Two Scout Rangers from a separate army unit were wounded in a second bomb blast in a forested mountain in Sumisip later on Monday.
On Tuesday, he said the special army forces were attacked as they pursued Abu Sayyaf gunmen responsible for recent kidnappings.
The spokesman says the military is also trying to secure a major Basilan road project from the Abu Sayyaf. -- AP
