Thousands flee as Philippines pursues Muslim militants
Sunday, 12 August 2007
ZAMBOANGA, Aug 11 (AFP): Thousands of people have fled their homes in the southern Philippine island of Jolo as troops pursue Muslim militants blamed for killing more than 20 soldiers, officials said today.
Jolo brigade commander Colonel Anthony Supnet said his troops would continue to hunt the gunmen even though they had broken up into smaller groups and scattered into the hinterlands of Jolo.
Supnet said the attackers were members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a group that had signed a peace accord with the government in 1996, and the Abu Sayyaf, an extremist group not covered by the accord.
He accused the MNLF of helping the Abu Sayyaf, saying that a prominent Abu Sayyaf member who was killed in the fighting had an MNLF membership card.
The military has suffered at least 26 dead and 17 wounded in the fighting in Jolo over the past week. Most of them were killed in two ambushes Thursday.
Jolo brigade commander Colonel Anthony Supnet said his troops would continue to hunt the gunmen even though they had broken up into smaller groups and scattered into the hinterlands of Jolo.
Supnet said the attackers were members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), a group that had signed a peace accord with the government in 1996, and the Abu Sayyaf, an extremist group not covered by the accord.
He accused the MNLF of helping the Abu Sayyaf, saying that a prominent Abu Sayyaf member who was killed in the fighting had an MNLF membership card.
The military has suffered at least 26 dead and 17 wounded in the fighting in Jolo over the past week. Most of them were killed in two ambushes Thursday.