Philippine troops used helicopter gunships to pound a sprawling complex held by Muslim guerrillas in southern Zamboanga today, spreading panic in the city of 750,000 people.
A Reuters photographer could hear repeated automatic and machine-gun bursts and see the outline of tracer bullets in the night sky as the fighting started around 3 a.m. (7 p.m. Irish time).
Soldiers in trucks and armoured personnel carriers were seen rushing toward a hilltop overlooking the mostly Christian city.
Military officials said the fighting was between troops and a group of followers of Nur Misuari, a former Muslim rebel chief who took up arms against the government again last week. They said two MG-520 attack helicopters were being used. They had no more details no word of any casualties.
Misuari was arrested in neighbouring Malaysia at the weekend. On November 19, hundreds of his followers attacked a military post on the nearby island of Jolo and at least 160 people were killed in the subsequent fighting.
Reuters