Jolo (Philippines): Eleven soldiers were killed and 25 people wounded on October 12 in military attacks on Abu Sayyaf guerrillas and their allies in this Southern island of Jolo, sources said.

Military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Philippine Marines suffered the casualties in an assault on the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul town, one of their strongholds on this Southern island.

Defence sources said troops, backed by artillery, OV-10 attack aircraft and MG520 helicopter gunships, had been used in the attack on the forest positions of the Abu Sayyaf.

Jolo military chief Colonel Alexander Aleo said troops clashed with the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, but would not confirm any casualties on either side.

"There is an ongoing operation against the Abu Sayyaf group and soldiers have orders to neutralise the rebels," he said. Aleo did not say why the attack was launched.

However, the Colonel previously said that three Indonesian seamen and four Filipino Christians who were kidnapped earlier this year had been brought together by the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul.

The Indonesians and the Filipinos had been seized separately by different Abu Sayyaf- linked groups.

Khadaffy Janjalani, the leader of the Abu Sayyaf, was also believed to be in Patikul, the Colonel had said.

"We are trying to locate the hostages and government rescue efforts are continuing," he remarked.

Police intelligence sources said that on October 11 about 400 Abu Sayyaf members and other Muslim rebels had massed in Patikul, vowing not to let themselves be driven out by any military assault.

Officials also restricted entry to military hospitals to where the casualties of the fighting had been evacuated.

Residents who had fled the fighting in Patikul said they saw many dead Marines and some wounded Abu Sayyaf in the area.

More than 5,000 troops are on Jolo as part of an operation to finally crush the Abu Sayyaf group, which has been linked to the al-Qaida network of Osama bin Laden.

The group is best known for kidnapping foreigners and Christians and holding them for ransom in the South.

Although the military had said that the massive deployment in Jolo would be the "end game" for the Abu Sayyaf on the island, the group has eluded government pursuit and even struck back near the heart of the military command.