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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippines launches air strikes against militants in Mindanao |
| 2013-09-17 |
| The Philippine military launched air strikes against Muslim insurgents as President Benigno Aquino sought to bring an end to a standoff that has killed 87 people and complicated efforts to bring peace to the south. About an hour before helicopters fired three rockets on rebel positions in the city of Zamboanga, military spokesman Brigadier General Domingo Tutaan said, “We are gaining ground as far as our calibrated response is concerned.” Seventy-one Moro National Liberation Front fighters have died in the fighting, and 64 have surrendered or been captured, according to military spokesman Major Angelo Guzman. More than 67,000 people have fled their homes with militants still holding 94 hostages, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said on its website. Nine policemen and soldiers and seven villagers have been killed in fighting that started Sept. 9 when troops blocked insurgents from hoisting their flag at Zamboanga’s city hall. Aquino warned last week he would use the “full force of the state” if needed to protect civilians. He remains in the city. The militants torched hundreds of homes and a team of prosecutors is preparing charges against some of them, said Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. Twenty houses were destroyed and five partially damaged, the disaster monitoring agency said. |
| Posted by:ryuge |
| #6 Only thing I can figure is MILF elements teamed up with the MNLF because the former are either unhappy with what they get out of the peace deal for various reasons or the Indo-Malay jihadis see a chance to throw a wrench in the works. And yes - a combined force would be problematic for SOUTHCOM. As far as MNLF - my guess is that Nur ran through his money and is back for another settlement. A bandit lord needs money to keep his followers happy. There's is a possibility that he'd team up with the MILF, but that might be tantamount to suicide for Nur. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2013-09-17 15:44 |
| #5 two Filipino aviators = pair of pliars |
| Posted by: Frank G 2013-09-17 13:25 |
| #4 In Nov 2001 Nur and his idiots had an uprising. The govt. Shut it down but Zamboanga got shot up pretty bad. Nur was released, I believe, and now they are back at it. They should have killed him when they had the chance. What I don't get is why the MNLF is using the MILF for the fighting. If they are back as one Zamboanga is in for some very bad times, the MILF is very capable of taking it to Southcom. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2013-09-17 13:20 |
| #3 When does the "International Community" start calling for a no fly zone? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2013-09-17 07:15 |
| #2 MNLF seize Zamboanga police chief |
| Posted by: ryuge 2013-09-17 06:29 |
| #1 IIRC the AFP repor controls approxi 70% of the areas in + around Zambo. The Commies are apparen NOT happy wid either Nur + MNLF-BIFF, or Macalanang = Manila's handling of the situation + its precursor ... To wit, * TOPIX > [PHIL Sun-Star] MAOIST REBELS BLAME NUR, GOVT FOR ZAMBOANGA STANDOFF. * SAME > PHILIPPINES: APPROXIMATELY 60,000 FLEE ZAMBOANGA FIGHTING BETWEEN REBELS + ARMY. E.g Libya + Egypt + now Syria, IMO again the greater threat to lasting Mindanao peace will stem from hardline, non-PHIL foreign Islamist-JIhadists Militant groups coming + setting up in Mindanao agz all comers, non-Muslims as well as Islamic "moderates/secularists", where the locals may find themselves seriously outgunned, out-funded, + outnumbered. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2013-09-17 00:21 |