Soldier, five rebels dead in southern Philippine clash: army
Manila, (MILLAT ONLINE):Five rebels and a soldier were killed during a weekend ground and air assault by Philippines security
forces on militants in a restive southern region, the military said Monday.
The Philippine army pounded some 50 militants with artillery in a five-hour attack on the island
of Mindanao Saturday, according to regional military spokesman Captain Arvin Encinas.
One soldier and at least five members of the rebel Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters
(BIFF) were killed in the clash, he said, adding that while small and fragmented the militant group
was a threat in the region.
“They have enough people to conduct atrocities, and they are actively recruiting,” he
said.