Philippine soldiers pursued
heavily armed Muslim rebels through the streets
and homes of a major city Wednesday, warning
they would be killed or captured unless they
surrendered. About 200 members of the Moro National
Liberation Front sailed into the southern port city
of Zamboanga on September 9 to stake an
independence claim and derail peace talks aimed
at ending a decades-long insurgency. Eighty-six MNLF gunmen, as well as 14 security
forces and four civilians have died in the ensuing
conflict, which has seen street battles in
neighbourhoods occupied by the rebels as well as
military helicopter rocket attacks. Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon
Zagala said fresh fighting took place Wednesday,
and soldiers had orders to “neutralise” the
remaining 30-40 rebels, who were roaming
through houses in urban areas. “We will continue with our calibrated military
response until they are neutralised, either through
being killed or captured, or they surrender,” he
told AFP. “We want to let them know there is no dishonour
in surrendering, when that saves lives.” MNLF leader Nur Misuari had reportedly called for
safe passage for his men back to their island
strongholds as part of a failed ceasefire initiative,
but President Benigno Aquino rejected the
condition. Zagala emphasised the military was intent on not
allowing the remaining rebels to escape, with
troops blocking strategic routes out to sea. Nevertheless, he said the military could not
conduct a full-out assault against the rebels for
fear of endangering civilians ensnared in the
conflict. “We want to finish this in the soonest possible
time. But we want to ensure the safety and
security of the civilians who are either trapped or
being held hostage,” Zagala said. Troops look for booby traps The rebels were believed to be holding as many
as 21 hostages, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas told
reporters in Zamboanga, as he outlined
operations to flush the insurgents out of the
communities. “We are now at the stage of clearing operations…
we are going from house to house, block to
block. Houses are built close together, the streets
are narrow,” Roxas said. “We have to ensure that there are no more
fighters there and that no booby traps were left
behind.” The rebels have shown no intent to surrender
despite being heavily outnumbered, with the
military reporting that two more soldiers were
killed on Tuesday. Those deaths occurred as the military achieved
one of its biggest breakthroughs, securing the
release of more than 140 civilians after taking
back control of some neighbourhoods. About 100,000 people, or roughly 10 percent of
Zamboanga’s population, have been displaced
due to the fighting, while the city has been
brought to a standstill with schools closed and
transport services suspended. Muslim rebels have been fighting since the 1970s
for an independent or autonomous homeland in
the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. An
estimated 150,000 people have died in the
conflict. Muslims regard the southern Mindanao region as
their ancestral homeland, although Catholic
immigration and population increases over recent
decades has made them a minority in many
areas. The MNLF signed a peace treaty in 1996 that
granted limited self-rule to the south’s Muslim
minority. However MNLF troops never gave up all their
weapons, as they had agreed, and they have
proved an enduring if sporadic security threat in
parts of the south. Misuari deployed his men to Zamboanga to show
opposition to a planned peace deal between the
government and the remaining major Muslim
rebel group, the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic
Liberation Front. The MILF is close to signing the peace pact, which
Misuari believes would sideline the MNLF. One of the main points of contention is the
envisaged creation of a new autonomous Muslim
political and economic entity for the southern
Philippines, to replace the one created under the
MNLF-brokered deal in 1996. The rival MILF would have most control of the new
autonomous region and the potential riches on
offer if large mineral deposits and the area’s
fertile farming regions are exploited.
heavily armed Muslim rebels through the streets
and homes of a major city Wednesday, warning
they would be killed or captured unless they
surrendered. About 200 members of the Moro National
Liberation Front sailed into the southern port city
of Zamboanga on September 9 to stake an
independence claim and derail peace talks aimed
at ending a decades-long insurgency. Eighty-six MNLF gunmen, as well as 14 security
forces and four civilians have died in the ensuing
conflict, which has seen street battles in
neighbourhoods occupied by the rebels as well as
military helicopter rocket attacks. Military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon
Zagala said fresh fighting took place Wednesday,
and soldiers had orders to “neutralise” the
remaining 30-40 rebels, who were roaming
through houses in urban areas. “We will continue with our calibrated military
response until they are neutralised, either through
being killed or captured, or they surrender,” he
told AFP. “We want to let them know there is no dishonour
in surrendering, when that saves lives.” MNLF leader Nur Misuari had reportedly called for
safe passage for his men back to their island
strongholds as part of a failed ceasefire initiative,
but President Benigno Aquino rejected the
condition. Zagala emphasised the military was intent on not
allowing the remaining rebels to escape, with
troops blocking strategic routes out to sea. Nevertheless, he said the military could not
conduct a full-out assault against the rebels for
fear of endangering civilians ensnared in the
conflict. “We want to finish this in the soonest possible
time. But we want to ensure the safety and
security of the civilians who are either trapped or
being held hostage,” Zagala said. Troops look for booby traps The rebels were believed to be holding as many
as 21 hostages, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas told
reporters in Zamboanga, as he outlined
operations to flush the insurgents out of the
communities. “We are now at the stage of clearing operations…
we are going from house to house, block to
block. Houses are built close together, the streets
are narrow,” Roxas said. “We have to ensure that there are no more
fighters there and that no booby traps were left
behind.” The rebels have shown no intent to surrender
despite being heavily outnumbered, with the
military reporting that two more soldiers were
killed on Tuesday. Those deaths occurred as the military achieved
one of its biggest breakthroughs, securing the
release of more than 140 civilians after taking
back control of some neighbourhoods. About 100,000 people, or roughly 10 percent of
Zamboanga’s population, have been displaced
due to the fighting, while the city has been
brought to a standstill with schools closed and
transport services suspended. Muslim rebels have been fighting since the 1970s
for an independent or autonomous homeland in
the south of the mainly Catholic Philippines. An
estimated 150,000 people have died in the
conflict. Muslims regard the southern Mindanao region as
their ancestral homeland, although Catholic
immigration and population increases over recent
decades has made them a minority in many
areas. The MNLF signed a peace treaty in 1996 that
granted limited self-rule to the south’s Muslim
minority. However MNLF troops never gave up all their
weapons, as they had agreed, and they have
proved an enduring if sporadic security threat in
parts of the south. Misuari deployed his men to Zamboanga to show
opposition to a planned peace deal between the
government and the remaining major Muslim
rebel group, the 12,000-strong Moro Islamic
Liberation Front. The MILF is close to signing the peace pact, which
Misuari believes would sideline the MNLF. One of the main points of contention is the
envisaged creation of a new autonomous Muslim
political and economic entity for the southern
Philippines, to replace the one created under the
MNLF-brokered deal in 1996. The rival MILF would have most control of the new
autonomous region and the potential riches on
offer if large mineral deposits and the area’s
fertile farming regions are exploited.
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