Philippine military and police have been launching since Thursday morning a hunt for at least seven gunmen who kidnapped 14 university students in a province in Mindanao, southern Philippines, said Philippine military and police officials.

Police said the kidnapped, who are students of the Mindanao State University (MSU), were abducted when they were riding a jeepney passenger bus to Iligan City, Lanao del Sur province, Thursday morning.

Earlier reports by the military put the number of kidnapped from 16 to 21. Some of them were released later, said the reports.

Earlier, seven gunmen shot dead two people and wounded three others on board a dump truck in Tangkal, Lanao del Norte province, which neighbors Lanao del Sur province.

It is not known whether they were the same gunmen or whether they are members of the Abu Sayyaf group active in the region, which has a long record of kidnapping crimes.