At least 11 killed in long-running land dispute between rebel clans in southern Philippines

Philippine subject and civilian officials opportunity astatine slightest 11 group person been killed successful a long-seething onshore conflict involving 2 Muslim guerrilla commanders and their followers successful a confederate Philippine town

COTABATO, Philippines -- At slightest 11 group were killed successful a long-seething onshore conflict involving 2 Muslim guerrilla commanders and their followers successful a confederate Philippine town, subject and civilian officials said Thursday.

The fighting erupted Wednesday betwixt nan 2 commanders of nan Moro Islamic Liberation Front successful a colony successful Pagalungan municipality successful Maguindanao del Sur state but a truce has since been forged by nan military, constabulary and leaders of nan rebel front.

The fighting was group disconnected by a long-running onshore conflict betwixt nan clans of nan 2 rebel commanders and was not straight related to nan Muslim insurgency.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front was nan largest Muslim separatist equipped group successful nan confederate Philippines, homeland of number Muslims successful nan mostly Roman Catholic nation, until it signed a bid deal pinch nan authorities successful 2014 erstwhile it dropped its separatist extremity and agreed to a better-funded Muslim autonomous region called Bangsamoro successful nan volatile south.

The six-province Muslim region is now governed by erstwhile rebel leaders successful a modulation statement anterior to regular elections successful May adjacent year.

Thousands of guerrillas belonging to nan rebel front, however, were still holding connected to their firearms while awaiting amnesty and livelihood packages from nan authorities nether nan bid deal.

Pagalungan municipality Vice Mayor Abdillah Mamasabulod said a long-running feud complete a immense farmland involving 2 clans led by commanders of nan Moro Islamic Liberation Front erupted anew into fierce fighting Wednesday day successful nan colony of Kilanan.

"They person been fighting complete ownership of astir 290 hectares (716 acres) of cultivation land,” Mamasabulod told reporters and renewed a telephone for nan warring clans to settee their conflict peacefully done authorities and rebel mediators.

Mamasabulod cited witnesses arsenic saying that up to 19 group were killed successful nan sporadic fighting and scores were wounded earlier a cease-fire was forged.

Army Lt. Col. Roden Orbon, spokesperson of nan 6th Infantry Division, however, initially said authorities forces deployed to unafraid civilian villagers person recovered 9 bodies from nan warring clans and 5 different combatants were wounded. He later said nan decease toll has risen to 11 pinch astatine slightest 5 firearms recovered by nan troops.

“The subject and constabulary are continuously conducting monitoring successful each adjacent hospitals and coordinating pinch nan activity of some warring groups to place nan still unidentified bodies,” Orbon said.

Villagers who fled astatine nan tallness of nan fighting were returning to their communities, he said.

The fighting is nan latest reminder of nan analyzable information problems that person agelong hounded nan confederate Philippines, which has bountiful resources and imaginable but has agelong been hamstrung by stark poverty, anemic rule enforcement, a ample number of unlicensed firearms and an array of insurgents and outlaws.