Philippine rebel dead in clash ahead of talks

ZAMBOANGA—Philippine troops killed a field commander from the country’s main Muslim rebel group, dampening confidence ahead of peace talks next week, the insurgents said Monday.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commander Abdulmajid Abdulham was slain on Saturday when his unit fought off combined military and police forces who were sent to the remote southern farming town of Sibuco to arrest him.

Abdulham was wanted for a string of attacks, including robbery, but the MILF said the military offensive – which occurred while Abdulham and other Muslims were holding morning prayers – was a clear violation of a truce agreement.

“We will file an official complaint with a joint ceasefire monitoring committee,” MILF spokesman Von al Haq told AFP.

“It will affect the confidence in the talks, but the incident will not be enough to derail the whole process.”

Al Haq said Abdulham was a “field commander” with a following of about 30 fighters.

The 12,000-strong MILF has been waging an insurgency on Mindanao island, the country’s southern third, since 1978 and the conflict has left about 150,000 people dead through the years.

The group recently announced it had dropped its bid for independence, and said it would settle for the creation of an autonomous ‘sub-state’ in the south.

MILF leader Murad Ebrahim and Philippine President Benigno Aquino also pledged to fast track peace talks when they held a surprise meeting in Japan early this month.

Those talks are due to resume in Malaysia on August 22.