Philippine troops clash anew with rebels in south

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(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-08-24 16:19

MANILA -- Heavy firefight broke out between Philippine government soldiers and Muslim rebels over the weekend, dampening the prospect of reviving a halted peace progress in the Philippine south, the military said Sunday.

The exchange of fires occurred early Saturday morning in Maasim town of Sanrangani province and sporadic fighting continued on Sunday, resulting in heavy casualties on the rebel side, a statement released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines said.

The military authority said only four government soldiers were injured although the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) claimed that 13 soldiers have been killed when they tried to attack the rebels' base in Maasim.

On Saturday, the army reported that at least 100 MILF members were killed, as the biggest air strike and ground offensive continued for three straight days to catch two MILF commanders, Ameril Umbra Kato and Abdullah Makapaar, among others.

Rebels in Maasim are believed to be under Kato's command.

The country's disaster relief agency, the National Disaster Coordinating Council, on Sunday said 49 civilians have been killed and more than 48,000 families have been displaced since the clashes broke out early last week.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Philippine National Red Cross, local government units and the United Nations World Food Programme have been providing relief supplies to the refugees who fled war-torn hometowns.

The 12,000-strong MILF have been fighting for self-rule since 1978, and signed a cease-fire with the government in 2003. The peace talks between the government and the rebel group have been on and off over the past years.

Violence has escalated in the southern Philippines over the past weeks after a territorial pact, scheduled for August 5 to have been inked between the government and the MILF, was suspended by the Supreme Court on the eve of signing.