At least 12 Philippine Troops Dead in Shootout with Rebels

Authorities in the southern Philippines say at least 12 soldiers are dead and 10 more missing after a firefight with hundreds of fighters from the region's largest Muslim rebel group.

An army spokesman on flashpoint Basilan island told reporters the fighting erupted at dawn Tuesday, as soldiers investigated reports of rebel incursions and kidnappings by members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the island's southeast. He said sporadic fighting continued for most of the day.