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Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Moro rebels clash with militias in Maguindanao
By Al Jacinto
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Government militias attacked Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces, sparking a gun battle in at least two towns in the southern province of Maguindanao, a rebel spokesman said.
Eid Kabalu said paramilitary forces assaulted MILF forces in the towns of Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak, but there were no immediate reports of casualties.
"The militias assaulted MILF forces in Maguindanao without apparent reason. The attack sparked a firefight and only stopped after Malaysia-led truce observers intervened," he said. "We have no reports yet if there were casualties in the fighting, but we will always maintain a defensive position."
He said Murad Ibrahim, the MILF chieftain, ordered rebel forces to stay vigilant and defend themselves if militias will attack again. The latest fighting broke a fragile ceasefire between militias and rebels.
Last month, militias and rebels also clashed in at least five towns in Maguindanao that left more than 30 people dead. The last fighting in Maguindanao was on July 27 when militias attacked a group of MILF soldiers in Datu Piang town with mortar bombs.
The MILF blamed militias loyal to Andal Ampatuan, the governor of Maguindanao for the violence, which they claim was in retaliation for a roadside bombing in June that killed five people. The target of the bombing was allegedly the governor, who escaped unhurt.
Police and military forces accused the MILF of masterminding the attack and ordered the arrest of two senior rebel leaders: Jamil Ombra, commander of the 105th Base Command in Camp Omar, and his deputy Sajid Pakiladato. The MILF denied the accusations and refused to surrender the duo.
In February, security and rebel forces clashed for weeks in Shariff Aguak and left more than a dozen people dead from both sides. The fighting erupted after the MILF opposed a provincial government road construction that rebels claimed would encroach into their territories in the village of Datu Unsay.
The MILF, which is currently negotiating peace with the government, is the country's largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate Islamic state in Mindanao. (Sunnex)
(August 9, 2006 issue)
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