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| Southeast Asia |
| MILF spokesman: Philippine military begin full offensive |
| 2011-10-22 |
| The Philippine military has begun a full offensive against Muslim rebels early Saturday, forcing thousands of people to flee. Von Al Haq, spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said their forces under the 113th Base Command BIAF-MILF were having early morning prayers at their camp when mortar shells rained on their position. A heavy exchange of gun fire between the two forces was reported following the government's artillery strikes. Al Haq warned that the green light given by President Benigno Aquino to his military commanders to carry out a full offensive against them might lead to all-out war. On Friday afternoon, he said fighter planes dropped bombs on their position on the outskirts of Labatan around 3 p.m.. The air offensive lasted for an hour, forcing thousands to abandon their homes. Al Haq said, "The military's artillery attacks are going on. This is not good ingredients for the peace talks. We are worried that it may end up in full blown war." Citing standing orders to their men on the ground to remain in a defensive posture, the rebel official said they could not stop their fighters on Mindanao from staging sympathy attacks against government troops. He said, "We have no redeployment of troops to Zamboanga Sibugay but if the situation there gets worse, it's another story." President Aquino, while ruling out pursuit operations in the province of Basilan where 19 soldiers have been killed by MILF rebels, gave the nod to offensive operations in Zamboanga Sibugay. Aquino said the military is pursuing lawless elements and that the provincial government has passed a resolution asking the military to pursue "wanted criminals." Over 3,000 families from the towns of Payao and Alicia have been evacuated to safer ground after the government began air strikes on Friday afternoon. On Thursday night, seven government troops, were killed and eight others injured in simultaneous attacks staged by the rebels. The rebels acknowleged the attacks but justified it as retaliation. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #1 "Might lead to all-out war" - IOW, the Jihad that Malay-Indonesian Radical Islamists were planning to wage any times now in the Philippines anyway, + SE Asia after. D *** NG IT, ITS JUST NOT GOOD ADOBO! |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2011-10-22 00:48 |