MANILA - ARMED militants stormed a house on a southern Philippine island on Saturday, killing two members of a civilian militia and a woman before kidnapping three other civilians, the military said.

The military blamed the attack on Al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf terrorists, but local officials said another separatist group was responsible.

YANGON - MILITARY-RUN Myanmar announced on Saturday it would hold an auction of precious gems in Yangon early next year, despite economic sanctions banning their international trade.

The auction would be held January 5-9 at Myanmar Gems Pavilion in Yangon, the Burmese-language Myanma Ahlin newspaper said.

YALA (Thailand) - SEPARATIST militants shot dead three villagers and left three others seriously injured in a late night attack in Thailand's restive south, police said on Saturday.

They said the three men, aged 35, 45 and 38, were working as volunteer guards outside a government-run elementary school in Yala province when an unknown number of armed militants arrived on a pick-up truck and began shooting at 11.30 pm (12.30pm Singapore time) on Friday.