At least thirteen dead in Philippines clashes

by Sanjay Jha | October 27, 2008 at 08:35 pm

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Latest report coming from Philipppines says that at least 13 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels were killed and four others wounded in a clash with troops between the towns of Mamasapano and Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao.

The rebel group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, with an estimated 11,000 fighters have been fighting for self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's volatile south for decades.

At least seven Muslim separatists and a soldier have been killed in clashes in the southern Philippines, the military said on Tuesday.

The two-hour firefight took place near the town of Mamasapano on the island of Mindanao on Monday, said the region's military spokesman, Major Randolph Cabangbang.

Government forces recovered the bodies of seven Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) gunmen, he told reporters.

One soldier was killed and four others were wounded, he added.

The MILF has stepped up attacks in Mindanao in the past three months after peace talks with President Gloria Arroyo's government broke down, leaving scores of civilians dead and displacing about half a million people.