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Washington PostMANILA (Reuters) - Philippine troops killed more than 30 Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and overran the rebels' main base on a remote island in the south of the country, a top military commander said Tuesday.
"We will not stop until such time that they are destroyed," Lieutenant-General Ben Dolorfino, commander of military forces in the southern Philippines, told reporters, referring to the Abu Sayyaf militants.
Dolorfino said about 15 militants were killed late on Monday when troops fought an estimated 100 Abu Sayyaf guerrillas who ambushed a military convoy in Indanan town, where eight soldiers were killed and nine wounded.
At least 34 Abu Sayyaf have been killed since Sunday, when troops, backed by air strikes, assaulted a fortified rebel base in the hilly interior of the southern island of Jolo, Dolorfino said, adding dozens were also wounded.
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