Mayor: 2 hurt in MILF attack in N. Cotabato

KIDAPAWAN, Philippines – Two teenagers were hurt while some 70 families were displaced Tuesday when suspected Moro rebels launched a fresh attack in southern Philippines, a local official said. The affected families were all from Barangay (village) Dado in Alameda town, North Cotabato, according to Alameda Mayor Ernesto Concepcion. Concepcion said the situation in the area remains volatile as more or less 30 heavily armed rebels believed to be members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) continue to prowl the mountainous portion of the village. Hurt in the attack were Marivic Talaman, 16, and Sheila Mae Dallos, 14. They were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. A report in dxMS Radio for Peace in Cotabato City said loud explosions that lasted until Tuesday afternoon prompted the villagers to abandon their houses. Concepcion said members of the Army’s 68th Infantry Battalion were deployed to Barangay Dado, and that sporadic fighting lasted until 12 noon. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu confirmed the presence of their troops in the area but said he was still waiting for information from their field commanders. - Williamor Magbanua, GMANews.TV