( dpa )- Two policemen were killed Wednesday by unidentified gunmen on a southern Philippine island where thousands of government troops are pursuing al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels, a police official said.
The victims were jogging at dawn on the air strip on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, when the gunmen fired at them, officer Edison Lim said.
The two officers died on the spot, he said.
Lim said investigators were still determining the motive behind the attack and whether Abu Sayyaf rebels were involved.
Jolo is a known lair of the Abu Sayyaf , which has been blamed for deadly bombings and high-profile kidnappings in the Philippines.