Tuesday, November 24, 2015

MNLF men clash with gov’t troops; 1 dead, 5 wounded

From Tempo (Nov 25): MNLF men clash with gov’t troops; 1 dead, 5 wounded

Followers of fugitive Nur Misuari opposing a multi-million peso road concreting in Sultan Mastura town, Maguindanao, clashed with government soldiers leaving one dead and five others wounded.
 
Col. Arnel dela Vega, head of the Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade, said the hostilities erupted last Sunday when some resident-combatants of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sultan Mastura town blocked the way of project workers and even forcibly drove them away.
The workers left and sought assistance from the 37th Infantry Battalion, which deployed soldiers to escort them back to the project site in Barangay Bungabong, Dela Vega said.
 
On their way to the project site, Army troops were fired upon by the MNLF men led by one Commander Kamlon, prompting the soldiers to fire back. The firefight lasted for about five hours.
 
Dela Vega confirmed that one of the attackers died and two government troopers were wounded.

A local media report, citing accounts from villagers, said two soldiers were wounded in the skirmish while the attackers suffered one fatality, whose identity was still unknown, and three wounded victims.
 
Kamlon and his men reportedly belong to the faction of MNLF founding Chairman Nur Misuari, who has been wanted for leading the bloody siege of Zamboanga City in September 2013.

The gunfight reportedly lasted when Kamlon and his men ran out of ammunitions and scampered away.

Village residents condemned the “unnecessary interruption” in the road project.

Village-level talks said Kamlon’s group was allegedly asking for “protection money” from the contractor of the road project in exchange for the free movement of workers at the site.

The Sultan Mastura municipal peace and order council is now trying to resolve the incident peacefully to ensure the completion of the road project, according to higher authorities.

http://www.tempo.com.ph/2015/11/25/mnlf-men-clash-with-govt-troops-1-dead-5-wounded/

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