Sayyaf, MILF attack military post in Basilan province

BASILAN, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 20, 2010) – Suspected Abu Sayyaf militants backed by Moro rebels attacked Saturday a military post and wounded a soldier and three government militias in the troubled province of Basilan, south of the Philippines, officials said.

Officials said the attack occurred at around 6 a.m. in the village of Guiong in Sumisip town.

“Elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 7 together with government militias manning a temporary patrol base were harassed by an undetermined number of Abu Sayyaf and lawless MILF group. One soldier and three militias were wounded,” said Army First Lieutenant Steffani Cacho, a spokeswoman for the Western Mindanao Command.

The motive of the attack was unknown but the military and police had previously blamed both groups for the spate of terrorism and kidnappings in Basilan, a stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf and Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The MILF is currently negotiating peace with Manila, but its fighters occasionally clashed with security forces in the southern Philippines and with both sides accusing each other of violating a fragile truce.

The military always tagged the MILF as lawless group if there are peace talks and terrorists and bandits is negotiations are either suspended or had failed. The MILF, which is fighting for self-determination the past decades, denied any alliance with the more violence Abu Sayyaf group whose members are tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya terror networks. (Mindanao Examiner)