Philippine forces hunt top Islamist militant in city

Manila : Philippine troops and police battled dozens of gunmen protecting one of the world's most wanted Islamic militants in a built-up area of a southern city on Tuesday, authorities said.

At least one policeman was killed in the hunt for Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the infamous Abu Sayyaf kidnap gang and Philippine head of the Islamic State group, according to Philippine military chief of staff General Eduardo Ano.

The fighting took place in Marawi, a mostly Muslim-populated city of about 200,000 people on the southern island of Mindanao, with the gunmen attacking a hospital during the clashes, Ano told CNN Philippines.

"Please advise people to stay inside their houses. We will clear the area," Ano said.

He said the fighting began when police and troops raided a house on Tuesday afternoon where Hapilon, the subject of a US State Department bounty of $5 million, was believed to be hiding.

This triggered fierce clashes throughout the afternoon and into the evening, with Ano estimating there were about 50 gunmen.

Photos posted on social media by Marawi residents showed the gunmen walking through the streets of Basak, a Marawi suburb of about 1,700 people.

A woman who asked not to be named told AFP by text that she saw about 10 armed men take up positions at the gate of a government hospital.

Police clashed with the gunmen near the hospital, leaving one officer seriously wounded and one of the extremists dead, she added.

The military said it could not confirm the militant's death. Ano said eight security personnel had been injured in the clashes.