World

Fighting escalates in Southern Philippines

by jayr_patron | August 11, 2008 at 12:56 am

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Manila, Philippines -- Government troops continue to battle Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels at the southern Philippine island of Mindanao.

More than 100,000 villagers have fled to evacuation centers. Isolated in some towns within the provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato, the small skirmishes erupt between the two sides as government forces boot the rebels from what the military claims as illegally occupied areas.

Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) chief Maj. Gen. Armando Cunanan said a portion of the Davao-Cotabato highway had to be closed to traffic this morning because of a threat along the said route.

"I heard it was closed earlier by our troops because of a small threat along the highway. But I understand the route is open now," Cunanan told The STAR

The portions of the road between Aleosan and Pikit in North Cotabato were reportedly closed to traffic at around 7 a.m. today but was later opened to vehicles later.

This developed as an undetermined number of MILF rebels led by Amiril Kato Ombra harassed Sunday night a platoon of the Alpha Company of the 38th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Napulan, Barangay Kapayuran, Pigkawayan, North Cotabato.

The renewed attacks came two days after government gave the MILF a deadline to leave the occupied villages in <?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />North Cotabato.

The attacks also came on the eve of elections for the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) today.

Yesterday’s gun battle erupted after the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced that it would stop its offensive against the MILF rebels to allow them to move out from occupying five towns and at least nine villages in North Cotabato.