2 fishers wounded in Sarangani attack

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Suspected Moro rebels attacked a group of fishermen in the southern province of Sarangani before dawn Friday, wounding two, an Army official said. The rebels on board three motorized pump boats attacked the coastal village of Kabatiol in Sarangani’s Maasim town at around 3 a.m., said Captain Achilles dela Cruz. “Two fishermen were wounded in the harassment," he said. He identified the wounded fishermen as Bonifacio Mongosera and Elden Capasas. “The rebels fired their automatic weapons and grenade launchers indiscriminately at the fishermen who were doing their daily routine at the shoreline of Kabatiol," Dela Cruz said., Army troops and navy gunboats were sent to help track down the attackers., he said. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) immediately disowned the attack. "We have nothing to do with the attack. There are pirates operating in the town," said Eid Kabalu, a senior MILF leader. The military has accused the MILF of attacking civilian targets in Mindanao, where security forces have been battling the rebels. The MILF is the country’s largest Muslim rebel group which is fighting for independence in the troubled region. Rebel forces have recently raided a banana plantation in North Cotabato province, killing at least three people. - Al Jacinto, GMANews.TV