ZAMBOANGA CITY: Five Marine soldiers and three Moro rebels were killed and more than 3 dozens wounded in fierce fighting in the southern Philippines, military and rebel spokesmen said Monday.

The weekend fighting in Basilan Island, south of Zamboanga City, left five soldiers killed and 24 wounded, including a combat pilot of an aging Bronco OV-10 bomber, whose aircraft was hit with enemy fire over Al-Barka town, according to Lt. Steffani Cacho, spokesperson for the Western Mindanao Command headquarters in Zamboanga City.

The military earlier said that two dozen soldiers perished in the clashes, but corrected its reports later, saying only five marines were killed.

The town is a known stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, where troops are pursuing Abu Sayyaf militants, blamed for the spate of kidnappings-for-ransom and attacks on Basilan.

Cacho said 11 soldiers were also injured in clashes in Sulu Island over the weekend, but the fighting appeared not to be connected to the skirmishes in Basilan.

“There is still sporadic fighting in Basilan. We are operating against the Abu Sayyaf group, but MILF forces under Sattar Alih, are attacking our soldiers. This operation is part of our campaign to flush out the Abu Sayyaf who is responsible for many kidnappings in Basilan,” she said.

The military accused the MILF of coddling Abu Sayyaf militants in Basilan and also linked the rebel group in many kidnappings on the islands in recent months.

But the MILF said government forces attacked one of its bases in Basilan and blamed the military for the breakout of hostilities.

“We blame the government for the breakdown of peace in Basilan Island. Troops are attacking rebel forces in Al-Barka town in the guise of pursuing the Abu Sayyaf,” said Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader.

He said three rebels were killed in the clashes in Al-Barka town and one of them was Sattar Alih, head of the MILF cease-fire monitoring team in Basilan.

He said six MILF fighters were also wounded in the fighting.

Kabalu denied rebels were sheltering the Abu Sayyaf.

“That is not true; we are not coddling the Abu Sayyaf. The military operation is intended against MILF in Basilan and we will fight it to defend ourselves,” he said.

The fighting in Al-Barka town was the second major encounter since last year after Marine soldiers entered an MILF base in search for a kidnapped Italian priest Giancarlo Bossi, who was seized by the Abu Sayyaf on June 10 in Zamboanga del Sur province.

The fighting on July 10, 2007 in Al-Barka left 14 marines dead, but ten of them were later beheaded by the Abu Sayyaf led by Puruji Indama after MILF rebels retreated from the area. Bossi was freed six weeks later in Zamboanga del Sur province in exchange for a huge ransom. The priest said he was never taken to Basilan.

Kabalu said the latest fighting further dimmed the hope of resuming the stalled peace talks between the MILF and the Arroyo government.

“We don’t think that peace talks can resume in such a hostile environment,” he said.