A military chaplain sprinkles holy water at the flag-draped casket of one of soldiers killed in clashes with Muslim Abu Sayyaf militants, after being flown from southern Philippines Saturday, June 21, 2014 at Villamor Air Base at suburban Pasay city, sout
Manila:
A Philippine military official says 17 Muslim rebels from a breakaway faction and a soldier have died in renewed clashes.
Military spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso said fighters with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement attacked army troops in two adjacent towns in the southern Maguindanao province.
Three other soldiers were wounded early Monday.
The rebels broke off from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main rebel group which signed a new Muslim autonomy deal with the government in March. The breakaway rebels opposed the peace talks and took up arms for an independent Muslim homeland in the south of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
Military spokesman Col. Dickson Hermoso said fighters with the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement attacked army troops in two adjacent towns in the southern Maguindanao province.
Three other soldiers were wounded early Monday.
The rebels broke off from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main rebel group which signed a new Muslim autonomy deal with the government in March. The breakaway rebels opposed the peace talks and took up arms for an independent Muslim homeland in the south of the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.
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