PALIMBANG, Sultan Kudarat — At least one soldier was killed and several others were wounded during a clash in this southern town yesterday, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said.
Fighting erupted at about 11 a.m. when troops of the army’s 601st Brigade attacked an MILF position in Barangay Whal, said separatist spokesman Eid Kabalu.
“The attack came as a surprise considering the observance by the Christian community of the so-called Holy Week Season where such action is supposed to be prohibited…” Kabalu said.
He said the attack was also another violation of the standing cease-fire agreement that government and MILF officials signed last year. He said the ground assault was preceded by shelling of several dozens 105 mm howitzers and 81 mm mortar bombs.
Kabalu said the defending MILF forces, a unit of the 204th Brigade and led by Commander Teng Jikiri, managed to repulse the soldiers after an hour of fighting.
Jikiri reported that one MILF fighter sustained a minor injury, said the spokesman.
But even as the soldiers withdrew, the shelling reportedly continued but no one was hurt.
Kabalu surmised the attack may have been in retaliation to last week’s fighting involving the same units in which he claimed MILF forces gained the upper hand.
The military had not reported anything about yesterday’s supposed clash but also claimed last week that it gave the MILF fighters a beating.
Twitting the army troops yesterday, Kabalu said” Despite tough statement from the 601st Brigade to wipe out the MILF unit in the area, they were not able to drive away Teng Jikiri’s group.”
