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| Southeast Asia |
| 11 Philippine soldiers killed in clashes with Moro Muslim fighters |
| 2002-12-11 |
| Bangsamoro Islamic News Agency Eleven soldiers were slain and 7 others wounded in series of gun battles between government troops and freedom fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in the outskirts of Sultan Sa Barongis town in Maguindanao, a report of the Bangsamoro Islamic News Agency [BINA] said today. The military started its three-day offensive last Friday barely a day after Muslims observed Eidul-Fit marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan. The military report, however, admitted losing only soldier killed and five others wounded. Ameen told BINA that the MILF suffered two martyred and another two wounded in action. Hmmm... Lemme see, here... Which account is more believable? The military also said the heavily armed men were members of the notorious "Pentagon" kidnap group. But Muhammad Ameen, secretary to the office of the MILF chairman, disputed the military claim saying that those armed men whom the military attacked were legitimate members of the MILF. "They weren't kidnapping people as part of the Pentagon group. They were doing it on their own..." Meanwhile, Armed Forces Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Narciso Abaya said reports of the 6th Army Division whose soldiers figured in the fresh fighting in Maguindanao said three of the bandits were killed while 15 others were wounded. |
| Posted by:Fred Pruitt |