35 MILF rebels slain in ’07

Thirty-five rebels were slain in clashes this year between troops and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the military said yesterday.

In its annual report, the Armed Forces said the soldiers captured eight rebels, and 52 surrendered to government troops.

Troops also seized 18 high-powered firearms during these encounters, the report added.

On July 10, the MILF killed 15 Marines in fighting in Albarkah town in Basilan, and 10 of them were beheaded by unknown assailants.

The MILF denied decapitating and mutilating the 10 dead Marines.

However, the separatists admitted to ambushing them after they “encroached” on “MILF territory without proper coordination.”

The Marines were scouring the area for the kidnappers of Fr. Giancarlo Bossi after receiving information that the Italian Catholic priest was taken to Albarkah.

Despite these “isolated incidents,” the “mainstream MILF” continues to adhere to the peace process, the military said.

Peace talks with the MILF have bogged down twice this year due to disagreements on issues surrounding the ancestral domain of Muslims.

Late this year, the government and the MILF returned to the negotiating table to iron out their differences. – James Mananghaya