2 more MNLF fighters killed in Zambo

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines  - Two Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) stragglers, one of them a unit commander, who survived for 31 days hiding in  the rubbles of the conflict-zone district in this city, were killed in  a brief encounter by the clearing military forces Thursday morning, a police official said.

One of the slain MNLF stragglers was identified as Nasser Dawili, a native of Barangay Tulay, Jolo town, Sulu and commander of the MNLF Tapul unit while the other remained unidentified, according to Police Senior Inspector Arlan Delumpines, chief of the city police Criminal Investigation and Detection Management (CIDM).

Dawili was identified through the identification card recovered from his possession while his companion carried no identification.

The police said the Philippine Marine troops resumed their clearing operation when they spotted two unidentified persons, believed to be MNLF stragglers evading  he troops  at sitio Buggok, Barangay Sta. Catalina about 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

Delumpines said the marines signaled the two suspects to yield and surrender. The rebels instead attempted to fire at the troops with their M14 rifles.

“Their guns, however, jammed,  prompting the marines to engage them in a firefight  and killing the suspects on the spot,” Delumpines said.

The soldiers recovered the remains of the slain stragglers and their two M14 rifles and turned over to the police for proper disposition.

The death of the two stragglers added to the fatalities of the Nur Misuari faction of the MNLF to 220 , while  296  rebels were captured  since the September 9 standoff which ended after 22 days of firefight. All 195 civilians held by the MNLF fighters were rescued.

At least 24 soldiers and police were also killed and 186 were wounded in the fighting that left 12 civilians killed and 72 wounded.