Wednesday, July 23, 2008 MILF rebels launch fresh attacks in Cotabato By Malu Cadelina Manar
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- A woman died and another is still missing when some 50 suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels attacked two farming villages in two separate incidents in Aleosan, North Cotabato Tuesday.
North Cotabato Police Provincial Director Lester Camba said the first attack took place in sitio New Valencia in Barangay Tapusok in Aleosan around 11 a.m.
Camba said a number of MILF rebels attacked a detachment of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in the area, which led to an exchange of gun fires that lasted for 30 minutes.
No one was hurt or injured in that firefight, according to Camba.
Three hours later, the rebels allegedly proceeded to another village where they fired shots towards villagers harvesting palay in sitio Tubak, Barangay Pagangan, also in Aleosan that killed a still unidentified female farmer.
Another female farmer went missing after she reportedly exited to another village to prevent from being hit, said Camba.
Senior Inspector Elias Dandan, police chief of the nearby Pikit town, identified the attackers as those belonging to the 105th base command of the MILF under Commander Ombra Kato.
Dandan said Ombra's forces are hiding somewhere in Liguasan marsh, most of them in Sultan sa Barongis and Datu Piang towns in Maguindanao.
Camba has already ordered Aleosan police and its "force multipliers" to be on guard and thorough probe on the attack.
