MANILA, Philippines, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Gunmen fired on three fishing boats in the Philippines' troubled southern region, killing at least 15 fishermen, army officials said.
The attack Tuesday occurred off the province of Basilan, in the Mindanao islands. Three of the 18 crew members of the boats survived, the Mindanao Examiner reported, quoting army officials, who said the survivors were seriously wounded.
A spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command, was quoted as saying the victims were mostly from Pagadian City in Zamboanga del Sur province, and had sailed to the troubled province Basilan to catch fish. The bodies of the slain fishermen were brought back to Pagadian City, the report said.
"There is an operation to track down the attackers, who could also be fishermen. This attack could be connected to a turf war," the spokesman said.
No individual or group claimed responsibility for the attacks, the report said.
The Mindanao islands include a Muslim autonomous region set up in the 1990s to quell armed uprisings by people seeking an independent Muslim homeland, CNN reported. Army officials said they did not think any separatist group was involved in the latest incident.
