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Philippine troops capture camp of Muslim militant |
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Source ChannelNewsasia
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Monday, 16 April 2007 |
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 ZAMBOANGA, Philippines : Soldiers captured the camp of a Muslim militant in the southern Philippines after the Muslims broke a truce and shelled a Marine outpost, a military spokesman said Sunday.
The camp of Habier Malik, a commander of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), in Panamao town in the southern island of Jolo was captured by troops with no casualties on the government side, said Major Eugene Batara.
The forces of Malik are believed to have suffered many casualties but the whereabouts of Malik is not known, the major added.
"There has been intermittent clashes and the group of Malik is on the run," Batara said, adding that troops had been deployed to prevent other Muslim armed groups from coming to Malik's aid.
The attack on Malik's camp came after he and his MNLF followers used mortars to shell a Marine base near Panamao late Friday, killing two Marines and a civilian and triggering a firefight.
It was not clear why Malik's forces began shelling the Marine camp, Batara said.
In February, Malik kidnapped government peace negotiators in Jolo but released them later after securing a pledge from government that the plight of jailed former MNLF leader Nur Misuari, was being closely looked into.
The MNLF was a former Muslim separatist group which signed a peace pact with the government in 1996.
They dropped their independence bid and opted for limited self-autonomy, and their leader Nur Misuari was subsequently named governor of a Muslim region.
Five years after the accord, however, Misuari launched a fresh rebellion after he lost government's support over alleged corruption.
Misuari's forces attacked government targets on Jolo and nearby Zamboanga city, killing over 100.
He fled to Malaysia, but was later captured and deported and is now in jail in a police camp south of Manila.
He remains an influential figure in Muslim communities in the south and Malik is a known loyalist of Misuari.
The Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) has been lobbying for his release to attend a meeting in Saudi Arabia in July.
The 57-nation OIC recognises the MNLF as the sole representative of Muslim minorities in the majority Catholic Philippines. - AFP/ch
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Last Updated ( Monday, 16 April 2007 )
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