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Fresh military-rebel fighting kills 2 Philippine marines, 1 child on southern island
Published in Saudi Press Agency on 14 - 04 - 2007


Fresh fighting between the
Philippine military and a Muslim rebel group killed two
marines and a child on a southern island, the military said
Saturday, despite a decade-old peace accord.
A faction of the Moro National Liberation Front or MNLF
fired mortars in and around Jolo island's Panamao town,
killing a child and wounding another late Friday, said
marine spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan, according to AP.
The mortar assault on the town continued Saturday. Two
marines died and eight more were injured in the shelling,
and in gunfights with followers of rebel commander Habier
Malik.
It was unclear what prompted the attack.
Malik captured national attention in February when he held
a Philippine marine major general and 19 other military
officers for two days, demanding more benefits under the
peace accord signed by the MNLF and government in 1996.
The guerrillas released their hostages unharmed after the
Organization of the Islamic Conference, which brokered the
peace agreement, promised to discuss the accord with MNLF
representatives in Saudi Arabia later this year.
The military commander on Jolo, Brig. Gen. Ruben Rafael,
said that the attack violated the peace agreement and that
the military «will suppress this lawlessness perpetrated
by this group.»
The marines fired mortars back at the guerrillas, Rafael
said.
No MNLF casualties were immediately reported.
The MNLF was the largest Muslim separatist group in
southern Mindanao region until it decided to agree to
autonomy and signed the historic peace agreement with the
government in September 1996.
Many of its members, particularly those under Malik,
refused to disarm over the years and maintained strongholds
on Jolo and nearby islands. The guerrillas have accused the
government of reneging on promises to deliver political and
economic concessions to predominantly Muslim areas under
the deal.
Philippine officials have tried to avoid antagonizing the
MNLF, which has hundreds of armed men on Jolo, and
complicating a U.S.-backed massive offensive against the
Muslim extremist Abu Sayyaf group and Indonesian militants,
who hide in forests near MNLF strongholds.
The MNLF has agreed to help the government hunt the Abu
Sayyaf on Jolo, about 950 kilometers (590 miles) south of
Manila.
-- SPA


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