MANILA, June 11 (Reuters) - Philippine soldiers killed six Muslim guerrillas with ties to the regional Islamic militant network Jemaah Islamiah (JI) during a raid on a major rebel base on a southern island on Thursday, a military spokesman said. Two soldiers were also killed and four wounded in heavy fighting between marine troops and about 150 rebels from the Abu Sayyaf for control of a guerrilla base near Indanan town on Jolo island, Lieutenant-Colonel Edgard Arevalo told reporters. The Philippines has stepped up its offensive on the Abu Sayyaf to stop the group's kidnap-for-ransom activities in the south after Washington raised concerns over Islamic militant threats in the region. Soldiers stumbled upon the rebel base after they received orders to intensify searches for Italian Red Cross engineer Eugenio Vagni, who enters his sixth month of captivity next week. Arevalo said two Indonesian militants, Umar Patek and Dulmatin, key suspects in the 2002 Bali bombings, were seen at the rebel camp. Fighting was still going on at the rebel base, Arevalo said. "Our casualties were hit by booby traps and landmines laid by the rebels to defend their base," Arevalo said, adding Vagni was not sighted in the guerrilla camp. "There's an unusual number of rebels in the area. All the top Abu Sayyaf leaders are there. We suspect they might be planning a big offensive." Last week, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates promised to help the Philippines fight and eliminate rising threats from Islamic militants following a spike in kidnapping activities in the south since the start of the year. [ID:nMAN81689] Last month, the U.S. State Department offered rewards of up to $2.5 million for the arrest of three top leaders of the Abu Sayyaf, blamed for the country's worst militant attack -- the 2004 bombing of a ferry near Manila Bay that killed 100 people. (For a factbox on the Abu Sayyaf, click on [ID:nMAN463434]) Vagni was kidnapped, along with Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba, by Abu Sayyaf rebels after they inspected a sanitation project at a local prison on Jolo island on Jan. 15. Notter walked to freedom on April 18 while Lacaba was freed on April 2. Ransom was suspected to have been paid for the two Red Cross workers. Vagni, believed to be suffering from hernia, has difficulty moving around but was able to call his family last week, military and local officials said. [ID:nMAN466405] (Reporting by Manny Mogato; Editing Rosemarie Francisco)
People display placards during a protest along a main street of Manila May 26, 2009 on the 10th anniversary of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the U.S. and Philippines. Calls ...
