Philippine security forces and Muslim rebels agreed on Saturday to "isolate and interdict" Jemaah Islamiah militants and other outlaws hiding in southern Philippines, officials and a rebel spokesman said. The two sides will work together to root out foreign militants and kidnapping syndicates hiding in communities controlled by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mindanao, said Lieutenant General Rodolfo Garcia, the military’s vice chief of staff. "This arrangement is very important to move the peace process forward," Garcia told Reuters. "The activities of these lawless groups and terrorists can impede the peace talks."
Garcia said the agreement would be approved when representatives of the two sides meet later this month in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur for formal peace talks. The military said it expected MILF rebels to monitor movements and activities of foreign militants and kidnap gangs and help the government arrest them. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the arrangement was temporary and needed approval by the peace panels of both sides. Defence Secretary Eduardo Ermita has said an estimated 30 to 40 militants from Jemaah Islamiah, a Southeast Asian group linked to al Qaeda, are hiding in the southern island of Mindanao. |