Seven soldiers and four Muslim insurgents were killed in a clash Saturday in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said, dpa reported.
Nine soldiers were also wounded in Patikul town of Sulu province, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Brigadier General Domingo Tutaan said.
He said the soldiers clashed with Abu Sayyaf rebels suspected of being behind recent kidnappings in the province.
The al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels have been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines, as well as high-profile kidnapping cases involving foreign hostages.