[Inquirer] Five people, including a village chief and a councilman, were injured when members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front attacked a village in Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat province.The militants fled when Philippine troops and the police arrived, said Lutayan Vice Mayor Ibrahim Macasayon. He said, "Normalcy has been restored," citing the intervention of the military and the International Monitoring Team for the government-MILF peace process.
Macasayon said fighting broke out when MILF militants from the 109th Base Command led by Commander Tige Guiamandin attacked the village administration building at dawn on Wednesday. Villagers led by village chief Falcon Bansil returned fire and engaged the rebels in an hour-long clash until security forces arrived, forcing the militants to retreat.
Reports say the attack was due to a land dispute and territorial conflict. Local farmers reportedly had refused to give money to the militants.