U.S. Troops Come Close to Battle Area
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U.S. military helicopters evacuated three Philippine soldiers wounded in a clash with Muslim extremists, officials said today. It was the closest American troops had come to the government’s battle against rebels.
A Philippine military spokesman said two U.S. helicopters were deployed to Basilan island late Friday after Abu Sayyaf guerrillas ambushed a Philippine army patrol, killing one soldier and wounding three. The fighting had apparently subsided by the time the helicopters reached the site.
About 660 U.S. soldiers are in the southern Philippines to train troops to better fight the rebels.
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