Three dead in foiled Philippines jailbreak

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines - Three people were killed and eight others wounded after a jailbreak attempt in the southern Philippines turned into a deadly firefight, police said Saturday.

The inmates, who were serving sentences for crimes including murder and robbery, overpowered a jail guard in the southern, coastal town of Siocon late Friday, killing him and seizing his shotgun and pistol, said Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, the area's police spokesman.

Guards and police from the nearby station rushed to the scene, sparking a gun battle that left two detainees dead, he added.

Four inmates as well as two guards and two policemen were also wounded in the shooting, Samuddin said.

Siocon town, located 777 kilometres (483 miles) south of Manila on the island of Mindanao, has been the scene of previous clashes between government forces and Muslim separatist rebels.

But the latest incident was not related to the long running insurgency, the police added.