The commandos were chasing a wanted al-Qaeda bomb maker when they accidentally entered a remote town without informing the rebels.

Via Daily Mail:

Nearly 50 police commandos have been slaughtered in the Philippines by Muslim rebels who claim they entered their territory without agreeing to it first.

An 11 hour gun-battle broke out after police entered the remote town of Mamasapano, held by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the early hours of Sunday without liaising with the rebels as required under a ceasefire agreement.

Police say that the bodies of 49 officers have been removed from the town on Mindano island and moved to an army camp

It is not known whether any MILF members were killed in the attack, which came as police had been targeting two high-profile terror suspects in the operation. Philippine national police chief Leonardo Espina and interior and local government secretary Manuel Roxas flew to Maguindanao today

In a statement Mr Espina said the police commandos were chasing a ‘high-value target’ believed to be behind recent bomb attacks in the south but he did not elaborate.

Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli is the most prominent of the 10 to 12 foreign JI members believed hiding in the Philippines.

He went into hiding in the southern region in 2003 and has since been training local militants, according to the military.