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| Southeast Asia |
| Muslim Rebels In The Philippines Take Control Of Several Villages, Shut Down Major Port In Bold Raid |
| 2013-09-10 |
| [Jpost] Rogue Moslem rebels launched an audacious assault in the southern Philippines on Monday, taking control of several villages and shutting down a major port in the biggest challenge to a peace deal signed by the government last year. The attack by hundreds of heavily armed guerrillas on Zamboanga City highlights the fragility of the deal agreed last October with a larger rebel group to end four decades of conflict. Transport officials suspended commercial flights and ferry services to the city of around 800,000. Schools, public offices and businesses were closed as gunfire rang out from festivities between soldiers and the estimated 200-300 invaders. Six people were killed and 24 maimed as the rebels tried to force their way to the city center, Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said in a statement. About 3,000 people had fled their homes, she said. Army commanders said the rebels landed in two coastal villages early on Monday and were trying to reach the city center to raise their flag over the city hall. "They want to hoist their flag. We will not allow that," Colonel Andrelino Colina told a radio station. Army front man Brigadier General Domingo Tutaan said about 200-300 people were "stranded" in a village occupied by the rebels. Officials had earlier said that dozens of civilians had been taken hostage. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |
| #7 All things equal, the danger is very real that the Commie NPA over time may find themselves slowly but steadily becom outnumbered + outgunned, etc, vee pro-war Muslim separatists. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-09-10 23:38 |
| #6 * TOPIX > [Xinhuanet] ATTACK ON ZAMBOANGA CITY COULD DERAIL PEACE PROCESS IN SOUTH PHILIPPINES. So called Filo-Malay confrontation + conflict, espec as per inspiring new foreign MilTerr Fighters, Groups to travel to Mindanao to fight the PHIL Govt-Army. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-09-10 23:36 |
| #5 See also TOPIX > [ABS-CBN News] MNLF RETURNS TO REBELLION. * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > [Malaysian Insider] MNLF FOUNDING CHAIRMAN NUR MISUARI HAS DECLARED SARAWAK + SABAH PART OF THE BANGSAMORO MORO REPUPLIK [aka BMR]. * GOOGLE NEWS > 4000 FIGHTERS READY TO STRIKE IN EAST MALAYSIA, SAY FILIPINO REBELS. versus * DEFENCE.PK/FORUMS > MNLF FACTION NOT JOINING MISUARI-LED ATTACK IN ZAMBOANGA CITY - INQUIRER.NET. The PHIL Muslim separatist problems go on, now wid resurgent Commies. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-09-10 20:08 |
| #4 That's true (I've dealt with both - professionally.) However, neither of them are benign. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-09-10 18:24 |
| #3 I believe the NPA is more Communist then Islamic and operates more to the north (Luzon). |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2013-09-10 13:25 |
| #2 The New Peoples' Army (NPA) isn't much better. However (based on experience,) unlike the Arabs with their "groups of convenience", the Filipino movements actually do have separate groups. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-09-10 13:13 |
| #1 No matter how good the peace deal sounds, they always have some kind of "splinter" group or "rogue" group, don't they? |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2013-09-10 11:35 |