COTABATO CITY, Philippines -- A land dispute triggered the "invasion" by about 100 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels of two villages in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat earlier this week, the military said Wednesday.

"What is involved here is a 24-hectare [parcel of] land claimed by two groups of settlers and Moro claimants who have relatives with the MILF," Salazar told reporters.

He said the rebels, under Palimbang town-based Commander Jikiri, had moved to Barangay (villages) Paril and Sangay to help their relatives claim the disputed lands.

"The problem is that the rebels joined the land dispute by attacking other civilians and looting them," Salazar said.

Because the lives of the civilians were already at stake, Salazar said the military was forced to drive away the rebels.

At least 10 Moro rebels were killed when the military conducted a day-long airstrike on Tuesday, he said.

"There is no letup in the offensives. It is the same group that occupied two barangay of Senator Ninoy Aquino last week," he said.

Eid Kabalu, MILF civil-military affairs chief, denied they suffered casualties.

He also denied the rebels initiated the violence.

"They were attacked first. They did not attack civilian communities. They were just passing by from another village when fighting broke out," Kabalu said.

Salazar said the military has appealed to the parties involved in the land dispute to let the local government of Sultan Kudarat and the Department of Agrarian Reform address the problem instead of asking the help of the MILF.

"I am appealing to all the claimants to stay calm and let the government resolve the land dispute," he said.

Kabalu said the MILF has already advised their forces in the area to disengage and let the government do its job in the land dispute.

"We have advised our troops to stay calm and let the government settle the land dispute," he said.

But Kabalu warned that their forces there would fight back if fired upon again.

In Basilan, Bishop Martin Jumoad said more minors have armed themselves in the wake of violence brought by the recent activities of the Abu Sayyaf and MILF rebels there.

Jumoad said what was more startling was that these minors, aged 14-15, did not mind authorities and openly brandished their firearms.

He said he saw them roaming along the highways of Tuburan, Ungkaya Pukan and Tipo-tipo Central. "This gives a chilling effect to commuters because these armed people, whether young or old, are free to go around…These people are not afraid of the presence of the authorities," Jumoad told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net).

Earlier, Jumoad also asked authorities to check on minors carrying firearms in Maluso.

Jumoad said the Catholic church in Basilan had appealed to authorities to "immediately disarm people that are not authorized to carry firearms, especially minors."

Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero, commander of the 1st Marine Brigade, said what Jumoad may have seen were "some friendly forces."

"If those armed people are not friendly forces, there could have been clashes already," Guerrero said, adding that Jumoad was being secured by a group of soldiers at the time he saw the armed men.