| MANILA, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine military on Monday warned of possible terrorist attacks by some radical members of separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) amid the government troops' pursuit of two rebel commanders in the south.
General Alexander Yano, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said that the ongoing campaign could prompt the rogueMILF elements to conduct terrorist activities, Philippine TV GMA reported.
"They're getting smaller now and evading government troops and we anticipate that they might resort to terrorist acts or guerrilla in small and splintered formations," said the military chief.
Government forces started their campaign against the rebels after hundreds of MILF fighters, allegedly led by Ameril Umbra Kato and Abdullah Macapaar, attacked some towns and villages in the Philippines' southern region of Mindanao. At least 58 civilians, among government soldiers and MILF fighters have been killed since the clashed broke out on Aug. 10.
The MILF leadership, who reached a ceasefire with the government in 2003, refused to turn over the two commanders as the government requested following the recent violence.
"To some extent, it is a significant breakthrough that we have broken them up into smaller formations and we have degraded some of their capabilities but it is not to say that we have totally or completely decimated or affected their capability to strike because they can resort to other forms of fighting and terrorism and guerrilla actions, Yano said.
"They have realized that they cannot confront the might of the Armed Forces," he added.
Yano said government forces are doing contingency measures to prevent terror attacks, but he did not give details.
"These need not be announced," said the military chief. |
