Three more Abu Sayyaf hostages escaped from their captors and were recovered by soldiers at dawn yesterday in a remote district in southern Basilan's Lantawan town, where the separatist guerrillas are believed to be holding out, officials said.

This developed as two rebel commanders Isnilon Hapilon and Hamsiraji Salih were wounded in sporadic clashes with security forces in Basilan, the military said.

The trio – Berzam Benasing, 21, his cousin Zalde Benasing, 14 and Michael Abellon, 20 – were found by soldiers at around 3.30am near the village of Tairan, said Basilan Army commander Hermogenes Esperon.

But the Abu Sayyaf is still holding an American missionary couple and 12 Filipinos in Basilan.
Esperon said the trio escaped on Thursday night while fetching water and gathering bananas in Lantawan's hinterlands. "They were haggard and very tired when soldiers found them," he said.

Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu flew yesterday to Basilan from here and met with the hostages. Cimatu said: "We have downgraded the military component of the main Abu Sayyaf with the wounding of their two commanders".

He said the military has pinpointed the locations of the rebels, but they were moving from one place to another to avoid pursuing troops.

Berzam said: "We were lucky to have escaped... we're so tired already, but the Americans are still there and they are also suffering in captivity".

He said about 170 heavily-armed rebels are scattered in the hinterlands of Lantawan. The youngest of the three, Zalde Benasing said many rebels were killed in the series of clashes with soldiers. "I could hear the explosions from cannons and gunfire and there were a lot of rebels killed in the fighting and I was really scared," he said.

Michael Abellon said the rebels forced them to convert into Islam and was given a name "Abdurakman".

Cimatu said at least 31 Abu Sayyaf rebels from Tuburan town have sent surrender feelers and were asking for a negotiation. "I said no... no negotiations, they should surrender without any condition... surrender or die. We cannot compromise with a terrorist group," he said.

He admitted the bombings at two hotels in Zamboanga City, north of Basilan island, were the handiwork of the Abu Sayyaf to divert the attention of the military operation in this largely Muslim province.

"The Abu Sayyaf was behind the hotel blast this week in Zamboanga City and it was a diversionary tactic, but four of the bombers were killed in clash in Balatanay village (in Isabela's outskirts)," Cimatu said.