1 killed, 2 hurt as MILF groups clash in Cotabato

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - A Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebel was killed while two others were injured in a firefight between two MILF groups in southern Philippines on Monday, a military official said today.

Major Dante Gania, spokesman of the Philippine Army's 6th Infantry Division, said the clash at Bulol village, Pikit town in North Cotabato province was traced to long-standing land dispute between the two groups.

Gania said the two groups were engaged in sporadic fighting as of today noon.

He said the Philippine military will not send government troops to the site and that it has coordinated with the MILF's Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities to stop the fighting.

The MILF, the largest Muslim separatist group in the country, signed a peace agreement with the government last March.

The draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, which will establish a new political entity in the restive south as part of the pact, is currently being reviewed by Philippine Congress.