Rebel commander killed in RP

Rebel commander killed in RP

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (Reuter): A rebel commander was killed and 10 others wounded in fighting in the southern Philippines, the army said yesterday.

The rebel commander who belonged to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was killed on Thursday when the army fired cannons and mortars at rebel positions on Basilan island, a military report said.

Ten others, including a soldier, were wounded when the troops chased the guerrillas into the rugged mountains of the island some 900 (560 miles) south of Manila.

The fighting took place a few days after peace talks to end a simmering separatist war in the Philippines' troubled southern islands failed to produce an agreement.