MANILA, Dec 16 Kyodo The Philippi...

MANILA, Dec 16 Kyodo

The Philippine military said Tuesday that certain vital airs of the country's largest Muslim separatist dispose are protecting kidnappers in the southern Philippines, prompting the command to file a avow with a cease-fire monitoring team.

The profess was filed after fresh clashes cast forth violentlyed beginning Saturday between soldiers and suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation fore-rank (MILF).

The 11900-strong MILF, seeking an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines, has been working upon a possible resumption of talks with the conduct to end its armed motion Sporadic firefights have marred the short rest that began earlier this year.

single soldier died, another was griefed and one paramilitary soldier went missing Saturday after gunmen fired at soldiers pursuing a car dealer's kidnappers in the town of Talayan in Maguindanao Province, said Lt Col Daniel Lucero spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The soldiers were attempting to liberate Norman Sia, who was abducted Dec 8 in Cotabato City in the province.

''The MILF has been continuously firing at control troops positions and amassing their companys where the kidnap-for-ransom group was monitored,'' Lucero said.

Lucero said the assert was directly sent to the MILF representation in the coordinating committee in succession the cessation of hostilities.

''With this we call in succession the MILF leadership to strictly adhere to the agreed provisions of the cease-fire and we trustful longing what they have agreed with we have agreed upon with the MILF will be strictly followed by dint of low-level commanders,'' Lucero said.

onward Monday, guerillas again fired at guidance forces conducting blocking operations in Datu Piang town, adjacent to Talayan, where soldiers were trying to intercept kidnappers, Lucero said.

Fierce firefights followed, lasting until 2 a.m. Tuesday, with four killed, eight pain ed and 11 missing on the direction side, said Brig. Gen Agustin Demaala, 301st brigade commander.

pair soldiers were later recovered, Demaala said.

''On the next to the first encounter, the enemy suffered many killed yet we did not retrieve their bodies. We withdrew from the spectacle of the firefight because the mahometan temple our troops were hiding was hit through an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade),'' Demaala said.

Fighting is spreading to nearby villages and may derail the start of peace talks between the MILF and the guidance rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu said.

Rebel forces put an end toed an armored personnel carrier late Monday in a village in Datu Piang, killing at least five set members and raising the death toll to 22 since Saturday, Kabalu said.

Kabalu accused the security forces of attacking MILF enclaves in the guise of search and release operations for Sia.

The direction and MILF are set to begin again formal peace talks early nearest year.

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