 The Philippines military has reached an informal truce with a southern rebel group, allowing troops to concentrate on pursuing another separatist group, an official said.
| Bad idea. They all do the same thing. |
Ben Loong, the governor of southern Jolo island, told government officials he helped broker the agreement with Habir Malik, who led Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) forces in an uprising on Jolo earlier this month. Fighting broke out between MNLF forces and government troops on the island in what rebels say was retaliation for previous operations by the military which killed local civilians, including children. The wife and two children of an MNLF leader were among the civilians killed, but a military spokesman said they were caught in crossfire during a clash on 1 February that also left two soldiers dead. "We cannot say it's a ceasefire, but we call it a gentleman's talk between the armed forces and the MNLF," Loong said. Malik, a follower of jailed MNLF leader Nur Misuari, led about 300 MNLF fighters supported by the Abu Sayyaf in attacks on military outposts in Jolo earlier in February, triggering fighting that claimed the lives of 25 soldiers and 70 rebels. |