Three Muslim militants were killed in a clash with police in the southern Philippines, a police spokesman said Sunday, dpa reported.
The fighting erupted late Saturday when police encountered Abu Sayyaf rebels in Maimbung town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said.
Cruz added that one of those killed was a ranking Abu Sayyaf commander identified as Gafur Jumdail.
He said police on Jolo and nearby provinces have been on high alert for possible retaliatory attacks.
The al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf is the smallest but most violent Muslim rebel group in the southern Philippines, responsible for deadly terrorist attacks in the country.
Three Muslim militants killed in southern Philippines
