UPPER MANGGAS, Philippines?Muslim extremists unleashed a volley of grenades and small arms fire on a Filipino army patrol Tuesday, wounding two soldiers, and prompting Green Berets to try to retrieve the injured men?only the second time Americans have ventured into the combat zone.

The clash among about 30 Filipino troops and a group of Abu Sayyaf rebels erupted within earshot of the Green Berets as they attended a town meeting on the southern island of Basilan to discuss local residents’ safety concerns.

Abu Sayyaf is believed to have links to Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda terrorist network.

About 160 U.S. Special Forces members and 500 other American personnel are in the southern Philippines to train Filipino soldiers battling the rebels, who currently hold hostages.

The U.S. Soldiers can only fire in self defense and must always stay with Filipino commanders.