NORTH COTABATO -- Fighting erupted anew between warring forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Kabacan town on Wednesday.
More residents left their homes since the hostility ensued for fear of being caught in the crossfire.
The latest encounter of the armed followers of MILF commander Kineg Inalang and MNLF commander Matog happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Nagaan.
Later that same day, MILF forces reportedly overran Purok 4 that was formerly held by the MNLF rebels, said Major General Anthony Alcantara, chief of the Army's 6th Infantry Division.
Alcantara said a certain Madz from the MILF side was killed in the firefight while none was monitored to have died in the MNLF side.
Elements of the 7th Infantry Battalion were located at the adjacent barangays to prevent spillover of the clashes while government attends to the needs of the thousands of affected residents, Alcantara said.
A total of 7,588 evacuees from barangays Pisan, Simone and Nangaan are now staying in 12 evacuation sites.
The army general said representatives from both the MILF and the MNLF, along with the local government unit and the Philippine Army, are working out to insert respective peace keeping forces to stop the clash and facilitate the resumption of talks between the two conflicting groups.
The armed skirmishes over some 3,300 hectares of land in the boundaries of Simone, Tamped, and Simbuhay, all in Kabacan town started since last month.
The said area is mainly occupied by Manobos since the concession of the Timbol Logging Company had ended in mid-1960s.
It was also learned that Manobo tribesmen allied with armed elements of the MILF in their fight against the MNLF.
The MNLF forces are under Datu Dimalao Ambel, chief of the Sebangan Kutawato Revolutionary Committee; the MILF under Kineg Inalang, chief of Kapalawan Province of the MILF; and the armed Manobo tribesmen by Ongillo Mandadtem.
The conflict started sometime in 2010 when the group of Ambel entered into a deal with a multinational company for the establishment of an African oil plantation covering the whole 3,300 hectares of fertile land.
Ambel's group allegedly started harassing the Manobos in their encampment along the Simone-Nangaan border.
Alarmed by the continuous harassment, the Manobos organized themselves into a fighting force but the harassment did not stop, sometimes causing them casualties.
On January 11, the Manobo tribesmen decided to attack Snakefish and occupied it and drove away the MNLF forces.
In their withdrawal, however, the MNLF attacked the MILF at Simone that resulted in the evacuation of the residents. (Ben O. Tesiorna of Sun.Star Davao/AP/Sunnex)
NORTH COTABATO -- Fighting erupted anew between warring forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Kabacan town on Wednesday.
More residents left their homes since the hostility ensued for fear of being caught in the crossfire.
The latest encounter of the armed followers of MILF commander Kineg Inalang and MNLF commander Matog happened around 4 a.m. Wednesday in Barangay Nagaan.
Later that same day, MILF forces reportedly overran Purok 4 that was formerly held by the MNLF rebels, said Major General Anthony Alcantara, chief of the Army's 6th Infantry Division.
Alcantara said a certain Madz from the MILF side was killed in the firefight while none was monitored to have died in the MNLF side.
Elements of the 7th Infantry Battalion were located at the adjacent barangays to prevent spillover of the clashes while government attends to the needs of the thousands of affected residents, Alcantara said.
A total of 7,588 evacuees from barangays Pisan, Simone and Nangaan are now staying in 12 evacuation sites.
The army general said representatives from both the MILF and the MNLF, along with the local government unit and the Philippine Army, are working out to insert respective peace keeping forces to stop the clash and facilitate the resumption of talks between the two conflicting groups.
The armed skirmishes over some 3,300 hectares of land in the boundaries of Simone, Tamped, and Simbuhay, all in Kabacan town started since last month.
The said area is mainly occupied by Manobos since the concession of the Timbol Logging Company had ended in mid-1960s.
It was also learned that Manobo tribesmen allied with armed elements of the MILF in their fight against the MNLF.
The MNLF forces are under Datu Dimalao Ambel, chief of the Sebangan Kutawato Revolutionary Committee; the MILF under Kineg Inalang, chief of Kapalawan Province of the MILF; and the armed Manobo tribesmen by Ongillo Mandadtem.
The conflict started sometime in 2010 when the group of Ambel entered into a deal with a multinational company for the establishment of an African oil plantation covering the whole 3,300 hectares of fertile land.
Ambel's group allegedly started harassing the Manobos in their encampment along the Simone-Nangaan border.
Alarmed by the continuous harassment, the Manobos organized themselves into a fighting force but the harassment did not stop, sometimes causing them casualties.
On January 11, the Manobo tribesmen decided to attack Snakefish and occupied it and drove away the MNLF forces.
In their withdrawal, however, the MNLF attacked the MILF at Simone that resulted in the evacuation of the residents. (Ben O. Tesiorna of Sun.Star Davao/AP/Sunnex)
