A team of visiting U.S. soldiers here returned to Manila yesterday on board the MC130 cargo plane after meeting with senior Filipino military leaders, officials said.

Their mission was over in a day as they have scheduled an anti-terrorist training for Filipino soldiers next year.

"U.S. soldiers have evaluated our training facilities and equipment because they will train Filipino soldiers who will form part of a larger counter-terrorist group, called the Light Reaction Company (LRC)," said Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu.

Sixteen soldiers, from the elite U.S. Delta Force, arrived in Zamboanga port city on Friday and met with Gen. Cimatu and other senior military officials over the planned training of Philippine forces next year.

"The plan for a new training facility will enhance the capability of the Philippine troops in fighting terrorism," said Cimatu. He did not say how many U.S. and Filipino soldiers would take part in the training.

The training will start soon, said Cimatu, but he declined to elaborate, saying: "These matters are tactical in nature and we do not want to jeopardise the training or those who will be involved in this."

U.S. Special Forces have trained early this year in Fort Magsaysay in northern Luzon a composite team of Philippine soldiers chosen from the Army, Marines, Air Force and the Navy who became members of the LRC.

Dozens of LRC soldiers are now in Basilan island, about 15 nautical miles south of Zamboanga City, helping the military rescue two American hostages Martin and Gracia Burnham and a Filipino nurse Deborah Yap who were held captive by Abu Sayyaf terrorists since May and June this year.

On Friday, LRC members clashed with Abu Sayyaf gunmen in the outskirts of Basilan's capital Isabela City, killing 11 of them and recovering weapons that included a 90mm recoilless rifle and 18 rounds of 60mm mortar shells.

"There is no way out for the rebels, but to surrender peacefully. We have greatly degraded their firepower and they are now on the run and hungry because we have choke off their food supply," said Cimatu, adding he was happy about the progress of the military rescue operation in Basilan island.

The strength of the Abu Sayyaf in Basilan has drastically been reduced to about 300 from more than 1,000 in June, said the military.

This was a result of an ongoing major offensive against the terrorist group, which is believed to have active links with the Al Qaida network and Saudi-born millionaire Osama bin Laden.