ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines -- The US Embassy in Manila rejected claims American soldiers participated in Monday's attack in Maimbung, Sulu, which left eight persons, including two children and a pregnant woman, killed.

Rebecca Thompson, US Embassy information officer, said American forces deployed to the southern Philippines under the Balikatan joint military exercises, merely provide advice to Filipino soldiers.

"US troops are forbidden from combat operations. By Philippine laws, only [the] AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines can engage] in combat. US troops advise and share information with the AFP and do humanitarian projects like free medical care and construction of community facilities," Thompson said in a text message sent to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) on Friday.

Major General Reuben Rafael, commander of the Task Force Comet in Sulu, issued a similar denial.

"As far as I am concerned, there were no US forces involved in any combat operation of the Joint Task Force Comet," he said.

The Maimbung operation, which was allegedly conducted to free two local residents kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen, was supervised by Rafael.

But Sandrawina Wahid, whose vacationing soldier-husband was among those killed in the operation, told reporters in Sulu on Tuesday that she saw four US soldiers when the Filipino troops stormed Barangay (village) Ipil in Maimbung.

Jose Manuel Mamauag, director of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Western Mindanao, said Wahid was consistent in her account about the participation of US soldiers in the raid on Ipil.

Mamauag said Wahid had already submitted a sworn statement on the incident.

"After her husband was shot before her eyes, she was brought to a Navy boat where she saw the four US soldiers. She also claimed that the raiding soldiers looted their village because she recognized her neighbors' animals, such as goat[s]," he said.

"We are aware it's Wahid's words against the interests of the Americans, but it's executed through an affidavit and we are standing by her statement," Mamauag added.

He said the CHR investigation of the Maimbung carnage also revealed that the soldiers "used heavy armaments."

The burning of at least seven houses by the soldiers, as attested to by residents, also gave credence to allegations of human rights violations, Mamauag said.

Army chief Lieutenant. General Alexander Yano said he wanted the investigation into the incident completed before issuing any statement.

The Light Reaction Company, one of the two units involved in the Maimbung raid, is under Yano's command.

"All I know at this moment is one of the LRC members is being buried. Let's just wait for the results of the investigation," he said.