Cotabato City, Philippines - At least 19 Muslim rebels were killed in two days of clashes with government troops in the southern Philippines, an army brigade spokesman said Thursday.

The clashes with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerillas occurred Tuesday and Wednesday in the towns of Datu Saudi Ampatuan and Guindulungan in Maguindanao province, 960 kilometres south of Manila, Major Peter Edwin Peter Navarro said.

"The rebel fatalities were confirmed by civilians and military radio intercepts," he said

Navarro said three soldiers were wounded in the clashes.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, however, denied the military's claim of killing 19 rebels, saying one MILF fighter was wounded and 10 soldiers were killed in the fighting.

Thousands of government troops have been deployed in Maguindanao and nearby provinces to pursue MILF rebels who attacked towns and seized villages last month.

The MILF attacks occurred after the Supreme Court stopped the signing of a deal that would have expanded the existing autonomous Muslim region on the strife-torn southern island of Mindanao.

More than 200 people were killed in subsequent clashes between government troops and MILF rebels and more than 500,000 displaced.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo dissolved the government peace panel negotiating with the MILF. She said peace negotiations would resume only when the rebel commanders responsible for the attacks have been brought to justice. (dpa)