Child soldiers among 53 dead as Philippine troops overrun rebels

Philippine troops patrol a highway in Guindulugna town, Maguindanao province, on the southern island of Mindanao on July 30, 2013, after rebels from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) fired on an oil tanker

Manila (AFP) - Three child soldiers recruited by hardline Muslim rebels in the Philippines were among 53 people killed in a five-day military offensive in the restive south, an official said Friday.

Regional spokesman Colonel Dickson Hermoso said the offensive against fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group in the strife-torn southern island of Mindanao had resulted in the deaths of 52 rebels, including the children, and one soldier.