Friday, April 20, 2007 Rouge MNLF rebels attack Zambo Norte town By Bong Garcia
TWO groups of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels tagged by the military as sympathizers of MNLF rouge leader Habier Malik staged attacks Thursday morning in the town of Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte Province.
Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Lieutenant General Eugenio Cedo said the simultaneous attacks took place around 5 a.m. Thursday in Barangay Kulaguan in the town of Sibuco.
Cedo said one group with about 10 rebels attacked the detachment of the Army's 44th Infantry Battalion while the same number of rebels in the other group harassed the residents in the same barangay.
He said a firefight ensued and this resulted in the death of one rebel and the recovery of an M-16 Armalite rifle. No one among the soldiers and residents were reported killed or injured during the simultaneous attacks.
He identified the leader of the attackers as Commander Pol Manamat, whose group is operating in the so-called triple "SB" areas that include the town of Sirawai, Siocon and Baliguian aside from Sibuco.
Cedo brushed aside apprehension that the simultaneous attacks were the after effects of the fighting between soldiers and Malik's group.
He said they are no longer pursuing the group of Malik in the island province of Sulu effective Thursday "but we maintain our defensive stance" in the area.
He said troops were stationed in Camp Jabal Uhud, the fallen base of Malik in Barangay Bitan-ag, Panamao, and on another former small camp of the rebels in Talipao, Sulu province.
Cedo disclosed that the offensive continue against high value targets who are leaders of the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.
However, Cedo said his troops would not hesitate to strike against Malik's group if and when he and his followers will be sighted together with the Abu Sayyaf while in the pursuit of the terror group.
Five soldiers died while 53 others were wounded when fighting between the MNLF rouge group and military erupted in the island province of Sulu.
Cedo said 15 followers of Malik died while 15 others were wounded based in intelligence information they received.
