MILF upset about military offensive in Mindanao

COTABATO, Philippines (Xinhua) - A senior Muslim rebel leader whose group is currently engaged in peace talks with the central government protested a recent military offensives against a rebel splinter group in the south, citing the displacement of local people and the disruption of the upcoming Muslim holy month.

Ghadzali Jaafar, vice chairman for political affairs of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), told a local radio today that his group coordiated with soldiers from the 6th Division, but said his group disagreed with the confrontations, citing local residents will be severely affected as the month-long fasting is about to commence.

"The peace talks is also about to resume. We told our counterparts it's very hard for the people to observe their fasting inside evacuation centers," he said.

 Around 5,000 people have been displaced due to the weekend' s clashes.

Jaafar said some of their forces in the provinces of Maguindanao and North Cotabato were dragged in the hostilities. He did not elaborate.

More than 80 Muslims rebels under the 300-strong Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fightershave been killed in clashes with Philippine soldiers ahead of the resumption of peace talks aimed at ending a decades-long rebellion, a military officer said Monday.

He said the government side suffered only 6 fatalities since the skirmishes broke out on Saturday.

The fierce gun battle occurred Saturday after the group of Ameril Umbra Kato, a former senior MILF official who was expelled in 2011, launched attacks against state security forces, sparking heavy fighting that resulted in the fall of two rebel strongholds.

Abu Misry, Kato's spokesman, however, denied reports about the number of their fatalities, adding that their offensive against government troops would continue.

"We demand their pull out in Maguindanao," he told a local radio station.

Jaafar said they are monitoring the situation on the ground and they are ready to extend help to the military to prevent the conflict from escalating.

The 12,000-strong MILF, which is observing a ceasefire, is to resume negotitions with the government in Malaysia on Monday. It has wageda guerrilla war for a sepertate Islamic state in the Southern Phillipines since the 1970s.