Agence France-Presse

ZAMBOANGA - At least 11 people were killed in a new outbreak of violence Wednesday between troops and Muslim militants, threatening a fragile peace accord in the southern Philippines, officials said.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters launched simultaneous and apparently coordinated attacks against two outposts near Maitum and Tugaig towns in the southern island of Mindanao, said regional military spokesman Major Julieto Ando.

"Rebel forces attacked military posts with mortars and anti-tank rockets and troops only retaliated in self-defense," he said, accusing the MILF of launching the offensive while soldiers were helping villagers affected by heavy rains caused by Typhoon Fengshen.

Ando said intelligence reports revealed that 10 MILF fighters were killed with no fatalities on the government side.

Another military spokesman, Major Armand Rico said one civilian had been slain in the violence.

"A firefight is still going on and troops are holding defensive positions," he said, citing the military post near Maitum.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu confirmed the clashes but denied that there the country's largest Muslim separatist guerrilla group had sustained casualties.

He claimed four soldiers were slain in the fighting, which he charged was provoked by the military.

Kabalu charged that the new fighting violated a ceasefire between the government an the MILF and could prevent the resumption of stalled peace talks aimed at sealing a peace accord.

The 12,000-member MILF has been waging a separatist rebellion in the southern Mindanao region since 1978 but signed the ceasefire to open peace talks.

However negotiations have been stalled for months due to disagreements over what authority the MILF would exercise over Muslim-populated areas that they claim as their ancestral homeland.

Source:  ABS-CBN News at http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=122988