At least one person was killed while 14 others were wounded as government troops clashed with an alleged Muslim separatist private army in the Philippines.

Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) were serving an arrest warrant against former local politician Pando Mudjasan - wanted for frustrated murder, double murder, multiple murders and illegal possession of explosives - when they were attacked by a group of armed men in Maimbung, Sulu on June 24.

A fierce 10-hour shootout ensued, killing a member of the elite Special Action Force and hurting 14 other officers.

Authorities said the exact number of casualties and injuries is yet to be determined. Pando managed to escape during the gunfight.

Speaking to local media, Police Major General Romeo Caramat Jr., director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said Pando, the former Vice Mayor of Maimbung, was a former leader of armed Moro separatist group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

He said: 'The accused and his group are a potential private armed group with different kinds of high-powered firearms. They were also involved in a violent clash in the Bualo Lipid area back in 2017.'

PNP public information office chief Brigadier General Redrico Maranan said the wounded officers were recovering at a hospital, and their families will be receiving financial aid.

Around 5,000 residents were evacuated from the area following the clash, local officials said.

In a statement, PNP Chief General Benjamin Acorda said: 'I commend the valor and dedication displayed by our law enforcement personnel who participated in the operations. Despite the inherent risks involved, they fearlessly carried out their duty to serve and protect our communities.

'The PNP will use all our assets and forces to hunt down those people who are involved and we will not stop until they are behind bars.'

The Moro National Liberation Front is a Muslim separatist group based in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. It was founded in the 1970s, and has engaged in violence and guerrilla warfare to forward its campaign for an independent Islamic state.

In 1996, the MNLF signed a peace agreement with the Philippine government, resulting in the creation of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.