TWO suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf were shot dead and two others were wounded by soldiers in a clash on the outskirts of the capital of Basilan Island on Saturday night.

Three others were arrested, according to the military.

But relatives of the fatalities and the wounded claimed that the military mistook the victims for bandits.

The suspected bandits were allegedly attempting to escape from soldiers who arrested them at an Army checkpoint, 14 km from Isabela City. There were no reports of government casualties.

Hours before, government forces clashed with fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Tuburan town.

The encounter occurred days after Brig. Gen. Edilberto Adan, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, accused the MILF of supporting the Abu Sayyaf in the face of an all-out military campaign against the bandits.

Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo said one soldier was wounded in the gun battle at Sitio Diggo, Barangay Capago in Tuburan at 2:30 p.m. Saturday.

Adan had earlier described Tuburan as an MILF stronghold. It was in the same town that government forces first made contact with the Abu Sayyaf bandits.

The military identified the two fatalities in Sitio Kapatagan, Barangay Maligue in Isabela as Inciong Hasan and Hadji Alih Lukman.

Adan said the suspected Abu Sayyaf members were believed to be in Isabela to buy supplies for their confederates.

Citing reports from the 103rd Infantry Brigade, Adan said nine "suspicious looking men" were held at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Army’s Maligue detachment.

They were unarmed when accosted by the Army while aboard a passenger jeep.