10 MILF rebels die in encounters

COTABATO CITY — Ten suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels were killed and five soldiers wounded in sporadic clashes since Sunday afternoon in three neighboring towns in Maguindanao.

Four of the soldiers were wounded in running gunbattles from 9 a.m. to past 2 p.m. yesterday in Barangays Lapok and Kuloy in Shariff Aguak town and in Barangay Tapikan in Datu Unsay town.

Evacuees said more than 2,000 rebels had converged on the three adjoining barangays since dawn and simultaneously attacked military positions.

Four MILF rebels were killed in the ensuing firefights that spread to Shariff Aguak and Datu Piang towns, also in Maguindanao.

Yesterday’s encounters came on the heels of Monday’s clashes in the towns of Mamasapano, Datu Unsay and Shariff Aguak. Two MILF rebels were killed and seven others wounded in the firefights.

In Sulu, Marines killed an Abu Sayyaf sub-commander after storming his mountain hideout in the jungles of Patikul town also yesterday.

Killed was Apay Asakil, whose assault weapon and Armalite rifle were seized by Marines.

Brig. Gen. Alexander Aleo, anti-terror Task Force Comet chief, said the Marines crept through the jungles of Mt. Sinumaan in the night to penetrate the hideout of Julasbi Jalmani and Abu Solomon and their band of 15 terrorists.

"Our troops planned out the offensive and carried out the mission before the terrorist group could move away again," he said.

Aleo said fighting erupted at about 6:30 a.m. yesterday after the Marines stormed the hideout before the Abu Sayyaf band could move out and break up into small groups to elude pursuing troops.

The Marines were able to pinpoint the terrorist hideout with information provided by civilian residents of the place, he added.

Taking part in the raid were the 3rd Marine Brigade’s special operation group and 9th Marine Battalion Landing Team.

The military said the band was part of the faction under Radulan Sahiron, a one-armed Abu Sayyaf leader based in Patikul.

Asakil’s remains were turned over to barangay officials for proper disposition in accordance with Islamic rites.

Maguindanao Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan, provincial peace and order council chairman, said last Monday’s hostilities started less than three days after members of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities and the Malaysian-led International

Monitoring Team repositioned hundreds of MILF guerrillas away from Barangay Old Maganoy in Mamasapano.

The presence of MILF rebels forced some 2,000 residents to evacuate to the town proper in Shariff Aguak.

The firefights broke out Monday after about 100 MILF rebels ambushed soldiers on a routine patrol outside Shariff Aguak town.

Col. Gerry Jalandoni, Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade commander, warned the rebels, who signed a ceasefire with the government three years ago amid Malaysian-brokered peace talks, to stay within their designated areas to prevent further encounters.

Chief rebel negotiator Mohagher Iqbal accused government troops of initiating the clashes, saying soldiers fired mortar rounds on rebel positions in violation of the ceasefire.

"Our men only defended their position," he said. "We are contemplating filing a complaint against soldiers for violating our existing truce." —With Roel Pareño, AP