Military

DATE=04/24/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-302515

TITLE=PHILIPPINES / ATTACK L-ONLY

BYLINE=HEDA BAYRON

DATELINE=HONG KONG

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: Fresh violence has erupted in the southern Philippines (Thursday) after Muslim separatist rebels attacked police and military installations - killing at least 12 people. V-O-A's Heda Bayron has this report from our Asia News Center.

TEXT: Philippine military officials say at least 500 rebels from the separatist group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, or M-I-L-F, attacked Army and police outposts along the highway between the southern towns of Kolambugan and Maigo.

Philippine Army spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Lucero, explains what happened.

/// LUCERO ACT ///

After a brief encounter, the M-I-L-F rebels withdrew, and they chanced upon a bus at the vicinity and they tried to flag it down but the driver refused to stop. So they fired upon the bus.

/// END ACT ///

At least 12 people were killed - including passengers of the bus that got caught in the attack.

Helicopter gun ships were dispatched to chase after the fleeing rebels. /// OPT /// Officials say the rebels may be holding several people hostage. /// END OPT ///

M-I-L-F spokesman Eid Kabalu claimed responsibility, saying the target was the military.

/// KABALU ACT ///

It is not intended against civilians.

/// END ACT ///

The M-I-L-F has been fighting for a separate Islamic state in the southern Philippine islands for more than 30 years. Clashes between government troops and the rebels erupted after a ceasefire agreement collapsed early this year.

The military has blamed the rebels for a number of terrorist attacks in the south, including two separate bombings that killed more than 30 people - a charge the group denied. The government has indicted more than a hundred members of the M-I-L-F for murder in these incidents, but few of them have been taken into custody.

Attempts to restart peace talks last month between the two sides were not successful. (Signed)

NEB/HK/HB/JO