Philippines probes deadly police shooting of soldiers

The remains of three of the four Army intelligence officers shot dead by the police in Jolo, Sulu, on Sunday arrive at Villamor Air Base on June 30. - Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA (AFP): Philippine authorities are investigating the deaths of four soldiers shot by police in the country's restive south, with the defence minister vowing Thursday (July 2) to "get to the bottom" of the incident.

The plain-clothes soldiers were in pursuit of "bomb makers and suicide bombers" from the Abu Sayyaf militant group when they were attacked by police in the Muslim-majority province of Sulu on Monday, the army has said.