By Jim Gomez The Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — After years of fighting the government from hidden jungle bases in the southern Philippines, an Al-Qaida-linked militant group is facing a new adversary, fellow Muslim insurgents who can match their guerrilla battle tactics and are eager to regain their lost stature by fighting the widely […]
4 Philippine marines killed in clash
By Jim Gomez The Associated Press MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine marines who were searching for long-held hostages battled al-Qaida-linked militants in a fierce clash that killed four marines and at least two insurgents in the country’s south, officials said. The fighting erupted in the mountainous hinterlands of Patikul town in Sulu province, where the Abu Sayyaf […]
Philipines, Muslim rebels agree on peace pact
By Jin Gomez and Eileen Ng The Associated Press Manila, Philippines (AP) — The Philippine government and the country’s largest Muslim rebel group have reached a preliminary peace deal that is a major breakthrough toward ending a decades-long insurgency that killed tens of thousands and held back development in the south.