MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the police and military to “defend every inch of Philippine territory” against forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Arroyo issued the directive Monday following reports of more than a dozen casualties as Moro rebel forces overran several towns in Lanao del Norte.

The President also ordered troops to “restore peace in affected areas” in the province as she condemned the “sneaky and treacherous attacks” as a “violation of the peace agreement and a challenge to progress in Mindanao.”

“Because of these sneaky attacks, as commander-in-chief, I have ordered the AFP and PNP to defend every inch of Philippine territory against MILF forces and immediately restore peace in affected areas in Lanao del Norte,” Arroyo said in a statement she delivered at the new executive building briefing room.

Arroyo said the government would “not tolerate and would not crush any attempt to disturb the peace and development in Mindanao.”

Arroyo also announced that she was calling an emergency meeting of the National Security Council “to assess the situation in Lanao and other areas in Mindanao and come up with concrete, firm, and decisive action” to defend the people in the region.

“I assure our people that the government will defend them at all cost from any move that will disrupt the aspiration for genuine and lasting peace,” Arroyo said.