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Friday, April 27, 2007
2 rouge MNLF leaders wounded: military
By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Two commanders of a breakaway faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) were wounded in skirmishes with government troops last week in the island province of Sulu.
Marine Major General Benjamin Mohammad Dolorfino, who is involved in government's roadmap for peace in Sulu, identified the wounded leaders as Habier Malik and MNLF vice chair for military affairs Tahil Sali.
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The fighting between government troops and Moro guerillas started April 13 when Malik's group staged attacks on military detachments in the towns of Panamao and Talipao.
Dolorfino said Malik was hit on the foot while Sali was seriously wounded, according to information he received from an informant who is affiliated with the MNLF. Dolorfino did not identify his source.
He said Sali was wounded in the fighting in Parang where troops pursuing Malik caught up with his group last week.
Dolorfino said he has no available information on the circumstances surrounding Malik's injury.
Last February 2, Malik held Dolorfino and several companions hostage in an MNLF camp after a dialog over a firefight that occurred between government troops and MNLF forces in the province.
Dolorfino and his group were only allowed to leave the MNLF camp after Malik's group got the assurance that a tripartite meeting with the government and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) would push through.
Also Thursday, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. visited Sulu to oversee the continuous offensive against the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists.
Thousands of troops have been pursuing local and foreign terrorists in Sulu for the past months.
Esperon said the main objective is to neutralize the so-called hard targets, referring to the remaining Abu Sayyaf leaders and Jemaah Islamiyah's Dulmatin and Umar Patek. (Sunnex/With VR)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (April 27, 2007 issue)
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