MANILA, Feb. 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Nineteen government troops were killed in Sulu after members of a breakaway faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group staged separate ambushes and raids in the province Tuesday.

    Local media reports said 14 members of the Marine Battalion Landing 5 were killed when a group of bandits led by Abu Sayyaf commander Radulan Sahiron ambushed the government soldiers.

    Five Philippine Army soldiers were also killed in separate raids by members of the MILF breakaway faction in a military detachment in Barangay Biid, Parang and in Panamao town in Sulu.

    At least six MNLF members were also killed in separate gunfights, according to the reports.

    The Armed Forces of the Philippines announced Tuesday that moremembers of the Philippine Marines were deployed to Sulu on Tuesday while the Philippine National Police also deployed its personnel in the southern province neighboring Malaysia. Enditem