|
|
Thursday, March 08, 2007
Muslim rebels launch mortar attack on army camp (1:24 p.m.)
MANILA -- Muslim guerrillas fired mortar rounds Thursday on an army camp in a southern Philippine town where they had earlier battled troops, causing no injuries but raising concern over the future of the peace process, officials said.
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas fired about four 81 mm mortar rounds toward the army's 40th Infantry Battalion headquarters before dawn, but missed the target, damaging nearby houses in Salunayan village in Midsayap town, the officials said.
The blasts roused villagers from sleep but there was no immediate sign they were about to flee, Midysayap police chief Superintendent Chino Mamburam said.
Regional army spokesman Lt. Col. Julieto Ando said the guerrillas apparently wanted to avenge the deaths of 17 rebels who were killed on Monday in fierce fighting in Midsayap, triggered by rebel allegations that troops were encroaching on their strongholds.
Muslim rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu said the guerrillas launched the mortar attack because army troops continued to move into guerrilla positions despite efforts by a government-rebel ceasefire committee to contain days of sporadic fighting.
"We're being pushed against the wall," Kabalu told The Associated Press by telephone. "We have no recourse but to fight back."
The fighting will not end unless army troops withdraw far from rebel positions, he said.
He claimed some local officials were backing the army incursions because they wanted the guerrillas to leave the predominantly Christian town, 890 kilometers (550 miles) south of Manila.
"These people wanted to derail the peace process," Kabalu said.
Army officials, however, said troops withdrew from several Midsayap villages Wednesday to avoid escalation of violence with the MILF.
Midsayap Mayor Romeo Arana said soldiers have left three villages at the center of the conflict, and that he was overseeing the return of about 4,500 residents who had fled the fighting.
The 11,000-strong rebel group has been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the overwhelmingly Christian country for more than three decades. The two sides hope to resume Malaysian-brokered peace talks soon to discuss an accord that would grant Muslims broad
autonomy.
The talks have been stalled for months due to a dispute over the size of the area where Muslims could exercise a measure of control under a proposed peace accord.
The peace talks are regarded as crucial by the Philippine and US governments.
They hope that by engaging the MILF in talks, its vast rural strongholds could potentially be transformed into economic growth hubs instead of battlefields breeding al-Qaida-linked militants. |
|
|
|
