Koreans leave embattled site

Koreans leave embattled site

MANILA (Reuter): Seven Korean engineers trapped for nine days
at an irrigation project in the southern Philippines finally got
out of the area yesterday when soldiers and Moslem rebels agreed
to quit the embattled site, diplomats said.

About 1,000 guerrillas of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) seized control of the project, financed by the Asian
Development Bank (ADB), on Aug. 27 after a clash with army units
sent to guard the site.

The South Koreans had been reluctant to leave for fear of
being caught in the crossfire between the rebels and hundreds of
soldiers who had laid siege to the project site in Carmen town,
North Cotabato province, 910 kilometers south of Manila.

The Korean engineers had said they had no problems with the
MILF until the military showed up last week and set up a
detachment around the irrigation site. The Koreans finally
withdrew after the opposing forces agreed to make a mutual
retreat, the construction attache at the South Korean embassy,
Kim Hyung-soo, said by telephone.