An undated photo of slain Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels is released Sunday, August 24, 2008 to the selected members of the Philippine media in Mindanao. The Philippine military said more than 100 rebels are killed in fierce fighting in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
A photo released by Sarangani provincial government on Sunday, August 24, 2008 shows villagers who fled the fighting in Maasim town in southern Philippines disembark from a truck that brought them to a refugee shelter. Sarangani Gov. Miguel Dominguez says 10 rebels were killed in the fighting Saturday in Maasim town. Another photo shows teary-eyed Cherry Anne Ling as she sings "Only for you my God" to fellow refugees in Maasim town. (Mindanao Examiner)
MAGUINDANAO, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 24, 2008) – At least 25 government soldiers and Muslim rebels were killed as fierce fighting continued Sunday in the southern Philippines.
Intense fighting was reported the towns of Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, all in Maguindanao province and also in Midsayap town in North Cotabato, Eid Kabalu, a rebel leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“Government soldiers torched houses owned by Muslims in Datu Saudi Ampatuan and fighting is raging in the villages of (Datu) Piang and also in Midsayap. We still do not know if there are casualties,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.
Ten rebels were also slain in Sarangani province after a pair of military attack helicopters pounded suspected rebel lairs in the outskirts of Maasim town on Saturday, according to Gov. Miguel Dominguez.
He said security forces were still pursuing the rebels under MILF commander Alu Binago, blamed for the August 18 attack in the town that killed two civilians.
He said soldiers were pursuing about 70 rebels. “We are gaining ground in surrounding the enemies (in Maasim town),” Dominguez said, adding, troops had captured several MILF lairs in three areas in the hinterland village of Pananag.
“Hopefully we will see justice is served to the innocent civilians who lost their lives in the recent attack in Maasim,” he said.
The fighting in Sarangani forced almost 2,000 families to flee their homes. Many are now housed in different refugee shelters across the town.
The MILF said no rebels were killed in the Sarangani fighting. It claimed that 13 soldiers were killed in the clashes.
Lt. Col. Julieto Ando, a spokesman of the Army 6th Infantry Division, said troops also occupied at least five MILF bases in Maguindanao province after fierce fighting in the towns of Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Piang and Kabuntalan towns.
Ando said soldiers also recovered assorted munitions, mortar rockets and anti-tank weapons left behind by fleeing rebels. “The operation will continue against MILF commanders Kato and Macapaar. The MILF should surrender these two terrorists peacefully,” he said.
He said the ongoing military offensive is aimed at capturing two notorious MILF commanders Ameril Kato and Abdurahman Macapaar, who led a series of attacks recently in the provinces that killed dozens of people, mostly civilians.
Manila also demanded the MILF to peacefully surrender Kato and Macapaar.
The rebels launched attacks after the aborted signing of the Muslim homeland deal between the MILF and Manila. The accord would have granted Muslims their own separate state in more than 700 villages across Mindanao, but it also sparked a series of protests from mostly Christian politicians and residents opposed to the inclusion of their areas to the so-called Bangsamoro Juridical Entity.
The Supreme Court stopped the signing of the memorandum of agreement on the ancestral domain after some lawmakers and politicians filed separate petitions asking the government to bare the rest of the deal with the MILF.
Murad Ebrahim, the secluded chieftain of the MILF, said they will not surrender the two rogue commanders and warned that an all-war is inevitable if the peace talks with Manila totally collapse.
Ebrahim has ordered MILF members to stop hostilities in Mindanao, but fighting still continue between government and rebel forces in many areas in the troubled region with both sides accusing each other of violating a fragile truce.
"We cannot subject our members to the laws of the government," Murad said, insisting that the MILF is a revolutionary organization. He said the MILF has started its own investigation into the attacks.
The MILF has blamed hawkish factions in the Arroyo government and Christian politicians opposing the Muslim homeland deal to the skirmishes in Mindanao.
Mohagher Iqbal, chief MILF peace negotiator, said his group will not anymore negotiate any amendments to the ancestral domain deal, saying, peace negotiators have initialed the accord last month in Malaysia, which is brokering the talks.
Manila has issued conflicting statements about the Muslim homeland deal. In several occasions, President Gloria Arroyo’s spokesmen said the government has scrapped the deal after finding it unconstitutional and at one point claimed Manila would still honor the accord. (With reports from Merlyn Manos)
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