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What happened to the peace deal?
“At least 30 members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) were killed in a clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters in Maguindanao province early Sunday, in the first violent encounter since the government and the MILF signed a peace agreement last year,” reports Edwin O. Fernandez in Philippine Daily Inquirer.
The report noted: “Mohagher Iqbal, the lead MILF negotiator in peace talks with the government, confirmed the incident, but neither the MILF nor the military would say how many fighters were wounded or killed, or to whom they belonged.”
Iqbal was quoted as saying, “This is the first encounter between the MILF and [government forces] this year. Hopefully, this will be the last. The clash was triggered by a no-coordination police operation.”
Iqbal claimed that “the police commandos first attacked an area where there were no terrorists.” He explained, “They also attacked our position, that’s how our troops were dragged into the encounter.”
The report also revealed: “In the early reports, Capt. Joanne Petinglay, chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division public affairs unit, said the military was conducting clearing operations in Mamasapano, where the policemen were killed in a clash with BIFF fighters and other outlaws.”
