Zamboanga City, Philippines - Suspected Muslim militants on Tuesday abducted four employees of a plywood factory in the southern Philippines, one day after a separate band of guerrillas beheaded a kidnapped school principal.

More than 30 gunmen disguised as soldiers swooped down before dawn on the Hightech Woodcraft Corp factory in Maluso town in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila, and seized the four hostages.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Unidentified gunmen on Tuesday abducted three employees of a plywood factory in the southern Philippines, a police official said.

More than 30 gunmen disguised as soldiers swooped down before dawn on the Hightech Woodcraft Corp factory in Maluso town in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila.

"The abductors forcibly entered by destroying the wooden fence located at the back portion of the factory," said Senior Superintendent Abubakar Tulawie, provincial police chief.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - A kidnapped state school principal was beheaded by his abductors on a southern Philippine island, a regional military spokesman said Monday.

The head of Gabriel Canizares, 36, was recovered at dawn Monday at a petrol station in Jolo town on Jolo Island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Major Ramon David Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros said two motorcycle-riding gunmen, believed to be Abu Sayyaf rebels, allegedly threw a plastic bag containing the victim's head in front of the petrol station.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - A kidnapped state school principal was beheaded by his abductors on a southern Philippine island, a regional military spokesman said Monday.

The head of Gabriel Canizares, 36, was recovered at dawn Monday at a petrol station in Jolo town on Jolo Island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Major Ramon David Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros said two motorcycle-riding gunmen, believed to be Abu Sayyaf rebels, allegedly threw a plastic bag containing the victim's head in front of the petrol station.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - A Marine soldier and a Muslim rebel were killed a firefight on the weekend in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said Monday.

Four Marines were also injured in the clash in Panamao town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, said Major David Hontiveros, a regional military spokesman.

Hontiveros said the fighting erupted Saturday when Muslim rebels opened fire at the troops who were dispatched to verify reports of armed men in the village of Patibulan.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - The kidnappers of an Irish Catholic priest have telephoned colleagues of their hostage in the southern Philippines, a regional military commander said Thursday.

Major General Ben Dolorfino said the kidnappers of Columban missionary Michael Sinnott, 78, established communication with the priest's colleagues.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - A Marine was killed and another injured in a clash with Muslim militants in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said Tuesday.

The firefight erupted on Monday in Indanan town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, when Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels opened fire at a group of Marines.

Major David Hontiveros, a regional armed forces spokesman, said the Marines were clearing the way for military engineers to repair a bridge in the village of Bato-Bato when they were attacked.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - One soldier and three suspected Islamic militants were killed Thursday during a clash in the southern Philippines, a regional military chief said.

Nine Marines were also injured in the fighting that erupted when suspected Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels attacked a military outpost in Panamao town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, Major General Benjamin Dolorfino said.

Dolorfino said troops recovered four assault rifles from the slain suspected militants.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Philippine police Wednesday rescued three public school teachers abducted six months ago by Islamic militants, a provincial police chief said.

The three victims were recovered in Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila, according to Senior Superintendent Abubakar Tulawi.

Tulawi said details about the rescue operations were still unclear but confirmed the teachers were unharmed.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - A judge of a Muslim-law court was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on a southern Philippine island, a police report said Thursday.

Shariah court judge Edimer Gumbahali, 37, was killed by two gunmen Wednesday in Patikul town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.

The victim suffered two gunshot wounds from a 45-calibre pistol and was pronounced dead on arrival at a nearby hospital.

Police investigators were still determining the motive behind the attack and the identities of the two suspects. (dpa)

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Four people drowned Sunday when a passenger ferry with 964 people aboard sunk after listing in the southern Philippines, leaving about 90 missing, officials said.

The Superferry 9 sank hours after it tilted to the right by 40 degrees off Siocon town in Zamboanga del Norte province, 810 kilometres south of Manila, navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said.

"Four people are already dead," he said.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - A passenger ferry with about 964 people aboard tilted Sunday in the high seas off southern Philippines, prompting the captain to order passengers and crew to abandon ship, officials said.

The ship was carrying 847 passengers and 117 crew. It left the southern city of General Santos on Saturday and was on its way to the central city of Iloilo.

The Superferry 9 issued a distress signal as it listed to the right off Zamboanga Peninsula, about 870 kilometres south of Manila, before dawn Sunday.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Twenty-three soldiers and more than 20 Muslim militants were killed in fierce fighting in a southern Philippine province, the military said Thursday.

The clashes erupted Wednesday when government troops swooped down on a training camp of Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels in Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - One policeman was killed Saturday and another wounded in a clash with Muslim militants holding captive an Italian Red Cross worker on a southern Philippine island, a police report said.

The report said another police officer was wounded in the combat between government troops and Abu Sayyaf rebels in Indanan town on Jolo Island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.

The guerrillas are holding captive Eugenio Vagni, 62, a member of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Eight people were killed Thursday when government troops raided a hideout of Muslim militants holding captive an Italian Red Cross worker in the southern Philippines, the military said.

Navy spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Edgard Arevalo said marines raided a hideout of Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels in Indanan town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, at dawn, triggering a clash with around 100 guerrillas.

Two marines were killed, while four were wounded, he said.

"The rebels suffered at least six dead and an undetermined number of wounded," he added. "The number may rise after clearing operations. Meanwhile, combat operations are still ongoing."

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Muslim militants freed a Sri Lankan peace advocate after more than four months in captivity in the southern Philippines, police said Thursday.

Umar Jaleel, a civilian peacekeeper working with the Brussels-based Nonviolent Peaceforce, was released late Wednesday by Abu Sayyaf rebels in Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan province, 900 kilometres south of Manila.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - A radio journalist was in critical condition in the southern Philippines on Thursday after being shot by suspected soldiers, police said.

Harrison Manalac, 29, was on his way home when he was attacked outside a local radio station in Buug town in Zamboanga Sibugay province, 810 kilometres south of Manila, on Wednesday evening.

Senior Superintendent Federico Castro, provincial police commander, said Manalac suffered a gunshot wound between his left shoulder and nape.

Zamboanga City, Philippines  - Three police officers and two security aides of a governor were wounded Wednesday in a bomb attack in the southern Philippines, a regional police chief said.

Chief Superintendent Bensali Jarabani said the explosion occurred a few metres from provincial capitol of Sulu province on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila.

Jarabani said the explosion hit the convoy of vehicles of Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan, who was on his way home in downtown Jolo.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Fighting erupted Tuesday between Philippine troops and Muslim militants holding captive an Italian Red Cross worker on a southern island, the military said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the clashes in Indanan town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, a military report said.

It was not clear if Italian Eugenio Vagni, 62, a Red Cross worker held captive by Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels for about four months now, was with the guerrillas when firefight broke out.

Zamboanga City, Philippines - Four police officers, including a provincial chief, were killed Thursday in a clash with Muslim militants holding captive an Italian Red Cross worker in the southern Philippines, police said.

Four police officers were also injured in the firefight in Maimbung town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, said Chief Superintendent Bensali Jabarani, a regional police director.