MARAWI, Philippines, 14 October — At least 20 rebels were killed in a military “preemptive” assault after some 600 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were monitored massing in a camp near the town of Sultan Gumander in Lanao del Sur, the military said yesterday.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, on the other hand, claimed that at least 30 soldiers and militiamen were killed in an ambush by heavily armed men operating in Nunungan, Lanao del Norte. Kabalu said the ambush was blamed on the MILF.

Kabalu said the military had been shelling MILF positions the whole day yesterday while air force planes bombarded the Tagisen and Mapiyalupa areas of Sultan Gumander. “There were reports that the military is running after suspected Abu Sayyaf member who fled into the area from Basilan or Sulu as the military continue to intensify its campaign against the group in those areas,” he said.

He added that the presence of the Abu Sayyaf was denied by the MILF community in the area.

Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Benjamin Defensor said intelligence reports showed that Isnilon Hapilon, a leader of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group, was also spotted in the area controlled by the MILF.

The Abu Sayyaf has been linked by the United States to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. The assault came in the wake of the killing of 11 Marines in an encounter with the Abu Sayyaf in Patikul, Sulu, and the bombings in Bali, Indonesia, that killed and wounded hundreds of people.

Malacañang yesterday condemned the Bali blasts as an “act of terrorism” and said it was on a heightened security alert to prevent a spillover of violence into its territory.

“We have to consider all possibilities here,” National Security Adviser Roilo Golez told reporters. “The (police) have been instructed to make sure that we are on heightened alert...to protect possible targets of these acts of terrorism in case this is regional and not local to Indonesia.”

Golez noted that in 2000, both Indonesia and the Philippines were hit by terrorist bombings that were largely blamed on extremist groups. He was referring to the Aug. 1, 2000 bombing in Jakarta, Indonesia that wounded Philippine Ambassador Leonides Caday and the Dec. 30, 2000 bombings in Metro Manila, which killed 17 people.

Indonesia is considered a weak link in the US-led war on terror in Southeast Asia, with critics saying the government is reluctant to crack down on radical Muslim groups for fear of upsetting the moderate mainstream.

Police said they had detained an Indonesian for questioning about possible links to extremist groups. The Indonesian was roaming around the gates of the airport in Zamboanga on Thursday when he was arrested.

As of yesterday, 20 rebels had been killed in the “first wave of ground assault,” Defensor said. The “preemptive assault” was carried out by elements of the 401st Army Brigade supported by artillery and air force attacks. “I will destroy any armed group who will undermine government efforts to bring peace and development in Mindanao,” Defensor said.

MILF actions in establishing unauthorized camps and carrying out training “constitute a violation of the peace agreement,” he said.

The MILF has been waging a rebellion for the establishment of an Islamic state in Mindanao since 1978. The group signed a ceasefire agreement with the government last year, leading to peace negotiations.

However, skirmishes have persisted, with the military and the MILF often accusing each other of provoking hostilities. The MILF has also been linked to Al-Qaeda. Citing US and Asian intelligence sources, CNN reported on Sept. 17 that the MILF had reopened two training camps in Mindanao and at least one training camp in Indonesia. Different Al-Qaeda operatives now in US custody, including Omar Al-Faruq, have verified the information. He reportedly spent three years in Camp Abubakar, the MILF’s stronghold in Maguindanao before it fell to government forces in 2000, to set up the first Al-Qaeda training in 1995.

In April, Indonesian Fathur Al-Ghozi, who was sentenced to 12 years in prison for illegal possession of explosives, also had admitted to training in Camp Abubakar. Al-Ghozi had told investigators of a plan to bomb Western targets as part of a jihad (holy war) intended to establish an independent Islamic state in Southeast Asia.