The continuous fighting has displaced more than 10,000 people in the towns of Payao, Alicia and Talusan, according to provincial disaster officials.
Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., AFP spokesman, yesterday said six OV-10 aerial bombardment sorties softened the resistance of the “rogue rebels” who were subsequently dislodged from their bunkers and running trenches.
“Our ground forces met little resistance and recovered four bodies of lawless elements yesterday out of the six reported the other night,” Burgos said.
The same group targeted by the air strikes was blamed for ambushes that killed four soldiers and four policemen in the same area on Thursday last week. They were initially reported to be regular members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but are now described by the AFP as rogue elements.
The fighting came two days after MILF fighters gunned down 19 Special Forces commandos who allegedly strayed into rebel territory on the adjacent island of Basilan.
At least 35 people have been killed in Mindanao and Basilan in a week of fighting.
Burgos said there have been reports that two of the fighters – Putot Jakaria and Ogis Jakaria – have moved from Zamboanga Sibugay to Basilan, where the military is now conducting air raids against the MILF.
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