'Two hostages killed' in Philippines firefight

The Philippines military says two Chinese hostages have been shot dead during a gun-battle in the south of the country between the Muslim rebels holding them and army troops.

A third Chinese man is said to have escaped during the incident in the village of Bunawan, in Sultan Kudarat province, on the island of Mindanao.

It is believed two further hostages, a Chinese and a Filipino, are still being held.

The rebels had demanded $10m in ransom for the safe release of their captives.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service