ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 12, 2013) – ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 12, 2013) – One civilian was killed as fighting erupted on Thursday between suspected Moro National Liberation Front rebels and security forces in Lamitan City in Basilan province in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay said the skirmishes erupted in the village of Colonia. “One civilian was killed and another is wounded in the attack. We appeal to residents to stay vigilant,” he said.
Residents have fled the village as siren reverberated in Lamitan, warning villagers that rebels have entered the city and that fighting had began. The Mindanao Human Rights Action Center said as many as 3,000 people have fled their homes and sought safe refuge in schools.
There were reports that Abu Sayyaf rebels, whose group is tied to al-Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiya, joined the raid.
Prior to the raid, MNLF and Abu Sayyaf rebels also attacked a military detachment in the village of Magcawa in Tipo-Tipo town, according to Capt. Jefferson Somera, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division.
He said three soldiers were also wounded in the clash with some 150 rebels under Puruji Indama, Isnilon Hapilon, Basir Kasaran and Nurhassan Jamiri.
“We were able to repulse the attack and we still don’t know if there were casualties on the enemy side,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
The clashes in Lamitan and Tipo-Tipo town occurred as security forces also battle rebels who occupied several villages in Zamboanga City since September 9.
Sporadic fighting continued in Zamboanga for 4 straight days where thousands of soldiers and policemen, backed by helicopters and armoured vehicles, and battling about a thousand rebels occupying at least 4 villagers – Rio Hondo, Mampang, Santa Catalina and Santa Barbara.
The clashes were so near downtown Zamboanga that the area has virtually became a garrison due to the presence of troops.
A huge fire also broke out twice in Santa Catalina and Santa Barbara village near Rio Hondo village and black smoke billows out from those areas where heavy fighting had been reported.
More than 13,000 people had fled their homes fearing they would be caught in the cross-fire or taken hostage by heavily-armed rebels who are still holding more than 100 people, including a Catholic priest and his family, in Zamboanga. But the presence of MNLF snipers and the captives have made it more difficult for troops to go near the gunmen and rescue the hostages.
Rebel snipers were also firing on helicopters hovering above the villages. US troops helping the military fighting terrorism in southern Philippines also deployed a spy plane in Zamboanga City and had been flying low every night since the crisis erupted.
Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar said the government is negotiating with the MNLF in an effort to end the crisis that had already killed and wounded three dozen people.
MNLF rebels under Nur Misuari said they are fighting for independence of Mindanao and has renamed the troubled region as Bangsamoro Republik, referring to Muslim homeland.
Salazar said she spoke with Misuari on the phone and the former Libyan firebrand who strongly disowned the actions of his lieutenant Haber Malik, the leader of the rebel group that occupied Zamboanga.
“Last night I was able to talk to Chairman Nur Misuari hoping that it would pave the way for the peaceful end of this crisis. What is of interest is that, Misuari disowned the actions of Habier Malik, the leader of the hostage-takers with whom I communicated separately. I expressed my openness to continue communication with Misuari as well Malik to find peaceful resolution of this conflict,” she said without further elaborating.
One of the hostage takers, Pol Aukasa, has told a radio network Radyo Agong, that his group came from Basilan province and is under MNLF leader Ismael Dafta. “We have 40 hostages here with, including a pastor (David Nefras) and they are all safe here,” he said.
He also allowed Nefras to speak, who confirmed that there are forty of them, including a dozen women. “We are okay here and we are being treated well. We have enough rice in the house where we are staying, but we fear for our safety because of the bombings and sniping (of government troops),” he said.
The region had been part of the vast Muslim rule until 18th century, but Mindanao is now largely home to about 18 million Christians with only about 4 million Muslim population and ethnic tribes. (Mindanao Examiner)
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