Marrik
02-12-2009, 02:46 PM
thousands Phillipine Army soldiers, supported by artillery and constant airstrikes, have captured 15 MILF strongholds, while taking only minor casualties.
Philippine officials have asked the MILF to surrender commanders Ameril Umbra Kato, Abdullah Macapaar and Aleem Sulaiman Pangalian, who have been accused of leading the attacks against civilians, including the burning and looting of homes and farms a week ago that left 37 people shot or hacked to death.
it is believed that this massacre was in retaliation for protests against the creation of an autonomous Muslim region in the Phillipines by Christian politicians in areas that would have been effected.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said her troops were not at war with the MILF, and that they were only targeting three hard-line commanders and their men.
and in case you were wondering, MILF=Moro Islamic Liberation Front. lol their rebel army is called the MILF :D
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The massive air and ground assault will not end until Philippine government forces have captured or killed three commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and their men who were responsible for killing civilians and pillaging communities in three southern provinces, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Monday.
The government has rejected a call by rebel chieftain Al Haj Murad for an immediate halt to the government assaults, which he warned could cause Malaysian-brokered peace talks to collapse and escalate violence in the south, homeland of minority-Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
Philippine officials have asked the 11,000-strong rebel front to surrender commanders Ameril Umbra Kato, Abdullah Macapaar and Aleem Sulaiman Pangalian, who have been accused of leading the attacks against civilians, including the burning and looting of homes and farms a week ago that left 37 people shot or hacked to death.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said her troops were not at war with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and that they were only targeting three hard-line commanders and their men, who could create trouble even if a peace pact is signed. She said her government would pursue peace talks with the rebel group. "The campaign against them is intended to remove the obstacles to the peace process," Arroyo said Sunday. Just weeks ago, a peace deal to end the decades-long insurgency had seemed within reach after government and rebel negotiators initialed an agreement on an expanded Muslim autonomous region.
But Christian politicians in areas that would be affected challenged the deal in the Supreme Court, triggering the attacks by frustrated rebels. Murad said Saturday his group would never surrender the commanders, who have denied the allegations. He conceded that they could be investigated by Malaysian-led cease-fire monitors. The massive military assault was aimed at preventing a repeat of the rampage against civilians, Teodoro said.
"We have to enforce the law at this point in time in the face of grievous atrocities that have been committed against our people, no matter what it takes," Teodoro told a news conference. "This goes to the core of what a state, what a republic, what a government should be, and it is unbargainable," he said.
Military Chief of Staff Alexander Yano said troops have overrun at least 15 Muslim rebel communities that served as guerrilla combat support areas in at least three provinces. At least 17 soldiers and five pro-government militiamen have been killed and some 64 soldiers have been wounded in the clashes, according to a military report. The intense clashes have displaced 272,800 people, Teodoro said. The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported that at least 40 civilians have been killed.
Philippine officials have asked the MILF to surrender commanders Ameril Umbra Kato, Abdullah Macapaar and Aleem Sulaiman Pangalian, who have been accused of leading the attacks against civilians, including the burning and looting of homes and farms a week ago that left 37 people shot or hacked to death.
it is believed that this massacre was in retaliation for protests against the creation of an autonomous Muslim region in the Phillipines by Christian politicians in areas that would have been effected.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said her troops were not at war with the MILF, and that they were only targeting three hard-line commanders and their men.
and in case you were wondering, MILF=Moro Islamic Liberation Front. lol their rebel army is called the MILF :D
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The massive air and ground assault will not end until Philippine government forces have captured or killed three commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and their men who were responsible for killing civilians and pillaging communities in three southern provinces, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said Monday.
The government has rejected a call by rebel chieftain Al Haj Murad for an immediate halt to the government assaults, which he warned could cause Malaysian-brokered peace talks to collapse and escalate violence in the south, homeland of minority-Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
Philippine officials have asked the 11,000-strong rebel front to surrender commanders Ameril Umbra Kato, Abdullah Macapaar and Aleem Sulaiman Pangalian, who have been accused of leading the attacks against civilians, including the burning and looting of homes and farms a week ago that left 37 people shot or hacked to death.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said her troops were not at war with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and that they were only targeting three hard-line commanders and their men, who could create trouble even if a peace pact is signed. She said her government would pursue peace talks with the rebel group. "The campaign against them is intended to remove the obstacles to the peace process," Arroyo said Sunday. Just weeks ago, a peace deal to end the decades-long insurgency had seemed within reach after government and rebel negotiators initialed an agreement on an expanded Muslim autonomous region.
But Christian politicians in areas that would be affected challenged the deal in the Supreme Court, triggering the attacks by frustrated rebels. Murad said Saturday his group would never surrender the commanders, who have denied the allegations. He conceded that they could be investigated by Malaysian-led cease-fire monitors. The massive military assault was aimed at preventing a repeat of the rampage against civilians, Teodoro said.
"We have to enforce the law at this point in time in the face of grievous atrocities that have been committed against our people, no matter what it takes," Teodoro told a news conference. "This goes to the core of what a state, what a republic, what a government should be, and it is unbargainable," he said.
Military Chief of Staff Alexander Yano said troops have overrun at least 15 Muslim rebel communities that served as guerrilla combat support areas in at least three provinces. At least 17 soldiers and five pro-government militiamen have been killed and some 64 soldiers have been wounded in the clashes, according to a military report. The intense clashes have displaced 272,800 people, Teodoro said. The National Disaster Coordinating Council reported that at least 40 civilians have been killed.