13 dead in gun battle in S. Philippines
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Thirteen people were killed and nine others wounded in a gun battle between two Muslim warring clans in the southern Philippines, a military official said Thursday.
The incident took place Wednesday night in the town of Kabacan in North Cotabato province where members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under a certain commander Kineg started exchanging fires with the members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under a certain Ambil, Maj. Marlowe Patria, a spokesman for the military's 6th Division, said.
Eid Kabalu, an MILF senior leader and spokesman, told reporters that they have intervened to prevent the escalation of the fighting but some members of the MNLF continued to fire at them.
Kabalu said the conflict between commanders Ambil and Kineg has to do with the long standing feud.
The locals have already appealed to Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to intervene and resolve the problem which continues to affect civilians. Wednesday's incident has forced over 500 families in the villages of Nangaan and Semone to evacuate to safer grounds for fear of their safety.
The MILF, which is currently negotiating a separate peace agreement with Manila, originated from a split within the MNLF.
Clan war or rido is common among warring clans in the southern Philippines. The hostilities could last for decades until a peace pact is reached by the warring clans usually through mediation by religious leaders and the payment of blood money.
Among major causes rido includes land disputes, particularly those caused by disputed government surveys or ancestral land claims; political rivalries, mostly election-related; crime- related, including murder and proliferation of illegal drugs, competition over resources and businesses.
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