US knew of hostage rescue: Manila: Contradicting Washington, Manila says the operation, in which an American and a Filipina died, was planned by US forces

MANILA - There appears to be a dispute over the United States' role in the botched rescue operation of hostages, with Manila insisting that the US had prior knowledge.

However, Washington has maintained that it first learned of the operation after it was informed of the death of an American missionary.

Philippines Defence Secretary Angelo Reyes said that US forces helped plan the operation in the southern Philippines that ended in the death of the missionary and a Filipina captive.

Contradicting the Pentagon's version of Friday's bloody rescue attempt, Mr Reyes said the Americans 'participated in the planning and the execution in terms of advice and intelligence reports, and in the training of our soldiers' who carried out the mission.