MILF infighting hurts 3 in Maguindanao

DATU ABDULLA SANGKI, Maguindanao -- Three persons were injured when rival groups belonging to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) clashed Thursday afternoon over land dispute in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, the military said.Reports from the 57th Infantry Battalion sent to Colonel Cirilito Sobejana, 601st Infantry Brigade commander, said the fighting erupted between two field commanders of the MILF in Barangay Kakal, Ampatuan town at 4 p.m.The 57th IB identified the injured MILF fighters as Gringo Sangki, Dading Kadil and Jaime Pasayan, all residents of Barangay Kakal and under the group of MILF Commander Jack Tuaba.Commander Tuaba's group has been locked in a long standing land dispute with the group of Commander Alud.The infighting has been settled in the past by MILF leaders with the help of government and MILF ceasefire panels but flared up anew when the group of Commander Tuaba allegedly encroached a community of Commander Alud whose members were harvesting corn crops.Elements of the 57th Infantry Battalion did not interfere in the infighting because of the existing ceasefire agreement between the largest rebel group and the Philippine military.Kagi Suadan, village councilman, said both sides traded bullets overnight but no evacuation was reported.Government soldiers were deployed in village center to secure the civilians and to allow MILF leadership to intervene and settle the land dispute through diplomacy