Zamboanga City, Philippines - Fighting erupted Tuesday between Philippine troops and Muslim militants holding captive an Italian Red Cross worker on a southern island, the military said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties in the clashes in Indanan town on Jolo island, 1,000 kilometres south of Manila, a military report said.

It was not clear if Italian Eugenio Vagni, 62, a Red Cross worker held captive by Muslim Abu Sayyaf rebels for about four months now, was with the guerrillas when firefight broke out.

The military report said the Marines were on patrol in the jungles of Indanan when they encountered the rebels led by Abu Sayyaf leaders Abu Jumdail and Albader Parad.

Jumdail and Parad were the Abu Sayyaf leaders involved in the kidnapping of three International Committee of the Red Cross staff on January 15.

Two of the hostages, Swiss Andreas Notter and Filipino Mary Jean Lacaba, were freed separately by the guerrillas in April.

Last month, Governor Abdusakur Tan authorized a rescue operation to free Vagni, who was reportedly suffering from a hernia injury.

But the rescue has been hampered by lack of accurate information on the location of the hostage and his captors.

The government has offered a 500,000-peso (10,256-dollar) reward for information on his whereabouts.

The Abu Sayyaf has been blamed for some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Philippines as well as high-profile kidnappings, including the abductions of foreigners. (dpa)