Sat, October 11, 2008
MANILA, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed in separate attacks on Saturday launched by rebel groups in the southern Philippines, a military spokesman said.
Some members of the separate Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) attacked a village in the southern province of Sultan Kudarat at about 4 a.m. Saturday local time (2000 GMT Friday), killing four civilians and a policeman, and wounding three other civilians, Philippine TV network GMA News reported, citing Armand Rico, a spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The attack, which triggered a firefight, also killed one rebel,Rico said.
The MILF fighters also took two villagers and used them as shield against pursuing government forces, he added.
Besides, some members of leftist New People's Army (NPA) ambushed a military truck and killed Army soldiers in a village named Dagohoy in the Davao del Norte province.
The attack occurred at about 9:15 a.m. local time (0115 GMT) as troops were on their way to bring provisions to government forces pursuing New People's Army insurgents in the province.
"The insurgents attacked troops who were only bringing food supplies to soldiers. Two good soldiers perished in the attack," Rico said.
The MILF is the country's largest rebel group fighting for a separate homeland in Mindanao, while the NPA is also fighting to overthrow the government and install a leftist state in the Philippines.
The two rebel groups have in the past forged an alliance to fight the military and train each other's forces, reports said.
