Hundreds of troops yesterday occupied a fortified rebel garrison in the heartland of Jolo in the southern Philippines, as security forces continued their offensive against the former separatist group Moro National Liberation Front, blamed for the death of dozens of soldiers in a string of attacks on the island. Battle-hardened soldiers raised their weapons and flashed the victory sign inside the sprawling six-hectare garrison called Camp Ujod Jabal in the hinterland village of Bitanag in Panamao town. The military now call this Camp Dennis Villanueva, named after an army commander who was killed last week in a bloody gun battle to capture the base, used by rebels as springboard to launch terror attacks in Jolo, about 950 kilometers south of Manila.Soldiers said the place was littered with explosives and booby traps and they also discovered dozens of bunkers and tunnels the rebels used in their escape. Officials said the rebels, estimated at around 800, have fled, but troops were pursuing them and sporadic fighting continue in the town. "We will pursue them and we will neutralize them and there is no escape," said Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza, commander of military forces in the southern Philippines. Braganza led about 500 troops in a simple flag ceremony inside the former rebel camp. It was the first time in 30 years that a Philippine flag was raised inside an MNLF camp, one soldier said. "This day is very special to us and we dedicate this victory to our fallen comrades," the soldier said. Braganza also awarded 11 soldiers, including a former MNLF rebel, with the Gold Cross medals for their bravery after they fought hundreds of rebels who tried, but failed to capture several government detachments in Jolo.