COTABATO (AFP) -Philippine government troops on Monday captured a major Muslim fighters training base outside the city in a severe blow to the separatist movement.
Southern Philippines military chief Major General Edgardo Espinosa said Camp Omar Al-Farouk of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fell into the hands of government soldiers. The troops were conducting mopping up operations.
"They [soldiers] raised the Philippine flag there. The fighters have fled," said Espinosa. "We have totally liberated Camp Omar Al-Farouk from MILF forces and we assure the civilians that they won't be able to come back anymore."
"Troops are now in the area and they have destroyed flagpoles, bunkers and the main facility of the rebel camp. The troops have also destroyed dozens of satellite camps around the perimeter," he added.
As the military celebrated its victory, government and Muslim negotiators met in a flurry of backdoor talks in a bid to salvage peace negotiations, which have been canceled because of the army offensive that began a week ago.
MILF negotiators pulled out of Monday's scheduled formal talks here and demanded that the offensive be halted before they faced their government counterparts. The capture of the strategically located base, which served as the headquarters of the MILF's key 206th Brigade, was the culmination of a weeklong offensive involving about 3,000 troops.
Military officials said more than 100 Muslim fighters have been killed, but could account for only 44 bodies. The MILF said only 11 were killed on their side. The officials also said two soldiers and two freedom-fighters were killed and that 19 soldiers and six Muslims were wounded.
Defense Secretary Orlando Mercado visited the captured camp on Monday and told the troops there: "Congratulations for a job well done, keep up the good work. Our government is behind you."
Major Julieto Ando, spokesperson of an army division arrayed against the Muslims, said that Camp Omar's capture was a key victory for the armed forces because the base overlooked a national highway linking the cities of Cotabato and General Santos.
The highway had been closed several times, disrupting traffic and trade after Muslims occupied the road or fired mortar shells near it. Covering about 30 square kilometers, Camp Omar is one of 46 camps the MILF claims to have in the main southern island of Mindanao, Ando said.
"We have crippled Camp Omar. Its heart now is bleeding," he added. The MILF is waging a 21-year armed struggle for an Islamic state in parts of the main southern island of Mindanao.
The military estimates it has 15,000 Muslim fighters with about 9,000 firearms.
MILF legal counsel Lanang Ali confirmed the backroom talks to save the peace negotiations losing its momentum. Government and resistance sources said heads of the two peace panels are to meet sometime today in the city of Cagayan de Oro.
"With this offensive launched by the government against MILF troops, we cannot see any sense of talking about peace when there is a war waged against us. In order for the peace talks to proceed, we are desirous that this ceasefire agreement signed in July 1997 be religiously observed by the government," said Ali
He described the offensive as "a complete disregard and contempt of the ceasefire agreement." Ali also confirmed that several "teenagers" had joined the MILF in the battle to defend the camp. "These teenagers, most of them are children of martyred MILF forces. They volunteered to defend their homeland," he added.
