Cotabato City, Philippines  - At least 11 Muslim rebels were killed in the latest clashes between government troops and the guerrillas in the southern Philippines, a regional army spokesman said Monday.

Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Ponce said troops also seized two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) camps during Sunday's fighting in Guindulungan and Talayan towns in Maguindanao province, 960 kilometres south of Manila.

Ponce said four MILF rebels were slain when government troops overran a guerrilla camp in Guindulungan, while seven more were killed when troops seized another camp in Talayan.

"We continue to score victories in the quest to bring lasting peace in the region," he said. "Despite heavy resistance by the MILF guerrillas, we overpowered them."

Ponce said government troops utilized attack planes to conduct air strikes on Sunday against MILF positions before ground troops started closing in on the camps.

At least 30 MILF rebels have been killed in previous clashes between the government troops and the guerrillas in Guindulungan that started on Thursday.

On Saturday the military captured a satellite camp of the MILF in Guindulungan where troops recovered homemade bombs, mortars, ammunition, other explosives and rebel uniforms.

The MILF has been fighting for an independent Islamic state in the southern region of Mindanao since 1978.

The 12,000-strong rebel group entered into peace talks with the Philippine government in 1997, but the negotiations have been suspended since August 2008 after rebels launched series of deadly attacks in Mindanao.

Nearly 300 people have been killed and more than 500,000 were displaced due to the rebel attacks and subsequent fighting with the military.(dpa)