Manila: Philippine troops have killed three alleged members of Dawlah Islamiya (DI), an Islamic militant group, during a clash in the southern Philippines, the military said Monday.

The military said a soldier was wounded in the 20-minute fighting that broke out on Saturday in a town in Lanao del Norte province.

“The enemies were forced to withdraw and escape amid the exchange of gunfire,” the military said.

It added that troops recovered three M14 rifles and 7.62mm ammunition from the clash site.

The DI is behind several atrocities in Mindanao, including the bombing at the Mindanao State University in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province in December last year that left four people dead and 50 others injured.