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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines army breaks ceasefire, launches attacks on Muslim fighters |
| 2003-01-11 |
| BINA/Ummahnews In spite of a ceasefire agreement, the Philippines government forces launched a vicious ground, air and artillery attack on various positions of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the boundary of Columbio, Sultan Kudarat and Datu Paglas in the Muslim heartlands in the south. "Yeah! We wuz just standin' around, mindin' our own bidnid, an' these guys, they attacks us for no reason!" The report disclosed that army troops supported by air and artillery power attacked the MILF in at least two isolated villages despite the ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the government. Four government soldiers were reported slain during the two-day fighting, while the MILF suffered three casualties. Hundreds of families fled to safer areas to escape the fighting. "Artillery, is it? Where's my turban? Where's my gun? Fatimah! Head out for your mother's house!" The military offensive, according to the BINA report, was using, as usual, the 'Pentagon' kidnap-for-ransom group as pretext for launching the offensive. Tahir Alonto, who surrendered to the government twice, leads the group. The Pentagon Gang is what Milfies do when they're not trying to run a parallel Moro government. It's kind of like a hobby that makes them a few bucks on the side... There has been no MILF actions that violated the existing ceasefire between the government and MILF that warranted the Army's offensive. The MILF has already prepared a complaint against the government for the latest breach. "Y'see, just because the Pentagon Gang thugs are members of MILF, that doesn't mean they're the same thing as MILF. We'd catch 'em ourselves, but we have more important things to do." |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |