U.S. troops fired upon in southern Philippines

Associated Press WriterWASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. troops working in the southern Philippines were shot at Monday and returned fire, Pentagon officials said, the first combat American troops have seen since arriving in February to train anti-terrorism forces.

No American or Filipino troops were wounded, said Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. U.S. officials believe some of the attackers were wounded or killed, but that has not been confirmed, Davis said.

The fight happened on the southern Philippine island of Basilan, where about 500 U.S. troops are training Filipino forces and building roads, water systems and port facilities. Muslim extremists, including the Abu Sayyaf group the United States says is linked to al-Qaida, have operated in Basilan's dense jungle.

U.S. Marines and Filipino troops were guarding a U.S. Navy construction project when they were shot at Monday, Davis said. Both the American and Filipino troops shot back, Davis said. He called the assailants "suspected Abu Sayyaf terrorists."

Details were sketchy. A Filipino military officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said gunmen believed to be from Abu Sayyaf ambushed a convoy carrying both American and Filipino soldiers.

The Americans on Basilan are among about 1,200 U.S. soldiers in the Philippines as part of the global war on terrorism. Because Filipino law bars other countries from unilateral military operations in the Philippines, the U.S. troops are allowed to fire only in self-defense.

Some Filipino politicians had objected when President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo asked for the U.S. help in fighting Abu Sayyaf. Monday's gunbattle could re-ignite those protests, especially if any Filipinos were killed.

The U.S. Navy construction crews are building roads, bridges, ports and helicopter landing zones to help the Philippine military move around the rugged jungle island and foster goodwill among the island's 300,000 residents. The commander of the U.S. forces on Basilan, Brig. Gen. Donald Wurster, said he believes Abu Sayyaf has killed Filipinos to try to block road construction to protect its hide-outs.

Abu Sayyaf had been holding two American missionaries and a Filipino nurse hostage. Filipino troops rescued hostage Gracia Burnham June 7, but she was wounded and her husband, Martin, and nurse Ebidorah Yap were killed in a gunbattle on the nearby island of Mindanao.