MANILA, Philippines?(UPDATE 2) The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed an accord pledging not to target civilians and to protect schools and hospitals, an indication of improving relations after years of conflict, officials said Wednesday.

The agreement, signed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, aims to avoid massive civilian suffering in Mindanao, where hundreds were killed and more than half a million displaced when peace talks collapsed last year.

They vowed to ?refrain from intentionally targeting or attacking non-combatants, prevent suffering of the civilian population, and avoid acts that would cause collateral damage to civilians.?

Government peace negotiator Rafael Seguis signed the accord, a copy of which was obtained by INQUIRER.net, with MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal.

He said the signing of the agreement in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday came "after a hard and prolonged discussion."

"The next logical move is to resume the peace negotiations," said Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the MILF, which has been fighting for Muslim self-rule in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation's south.

Both sides will discuss measures to enforce the accord once formal talks resume later this year, including international monitors, said Seguis.

"It's aimed at preventing massive numbers of internally displaced persons," he said.

Displaced civilians have born the brunt of the conflict, which has claimed at least 120,000 lives since the 1970s.

Tuesday?s meeting was the third in four months since the government and the MILF separately declared a ceasefire aimed at restoring normalcy in the troubled south.

In the agreement, both sides committed not to target noncombatants, along with "schools, hospitals, religious premises, health and food distribution centers, or relief operations." They also agreed not to block the flow of food aid and other relief goods.

The International Monitoring Team (IMT) will monitor their compliance to the agreement.

?Should the IMT cease to operate, the civilian protection component shall remain in place,? the agreement stated.

A month earlier, the government and the MILF also agreed on the creation of the International Contact Group (ICG), a pool of international humanitarian outfits, foreign donors, and peace advocacy institutions willing to help in the Mindanao peace process.

Negotiations collapsed in August last year when the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a preliminary accord on an expanded Muslim autonomous region.

A deadly rampage by three rebel commanders upset by the stalled deal sparked months of clashes that killed hundreds and forced more than half a million out of their homes. Most have since returned.

The fighting in the marshy heartland of the southern Mindanao region eased in July and both sides agreed last month to resume the negotiations.

US and European officials have called for a resumption of the talks, saying the peace process would help turn rebel strongholds into economic growth areas instead of sanctuaries of al-Qaida-linked extremists. With Jeoffrey Maitem and Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao