Eight people, four of them civilians, were killed Sunday in two separate attacks believed to be perpetrated by secessionist Moro rebels in southern Philippines, a military official said.

This brings to 34 people the number of deaths in attacks perpetrated by the MILF since Tuesday last week, when 19 Special Forces soldiers, including four officers, died and 14 others were injured in fierce fighting in Al-Barka town in Basilan.

Last Friday, MILF rebels launched a series of attacks in Zamboanga Sibugay, resulting in the deaths of four more soldiers, including another officer, and three policemen, and wounding of eight others government troops.

Aside from the eight fatalities, 11 people were wounded in Sunday’s twin attacks that occurred in Basilan and Lanao del Norte provinces, according to Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc.

He said the first attack happened around 5:30 a.m. in Barangay Upper Cabenbeng in Sumisip town in Basilan where five people — four rubber plantation workers and an off-duty militiaman — were killed.

“According to the source, more or less 40 MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) under Hassan Asnawi perpetrated the said ambush,” Cabunoc said, citing a military field report.

The attack occurred less than a week after a deadly clash between government troops and MILF rebels, also in Basilan, left 19 soldiers dead, the biggest number of fatalities suffered by the military in nearly five years.

Fatalities in Sunday’s violence in Basilan were identified as Fernando Tantalon, the off-duty militiaman; and plantation workers Renato Aligay, Junrel Langugon, Delord Johnson, and Buenaventura Lugamay.

Those wounded were Alfredo Rojas, Danilo Tonghay, Adzar Madjakin, Abdul mot, Gilbert Guevera, Julibert Dingkong, Francisco Taklindom and Bonficiao Dagodong Jr.

Cabunoc, in a interview on GMA’s News TV Live, said there were reports that six were killed in the attack. “Medyo malabo ang bilang ng mga namatay. Pero ayun sa listahan, lima ang nasawi… ayon naman sa isang source anim umano,” he said.

Lanao attack

In Lanao del Norte, three soldiers were killed while three others were wounded when MILF rebels allegedly ambushed a team from the Army’s 5th Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Bagnus Gaerlan.

“Identities of the assailants are unknown but the MILF has forces roaming around in the area,” said Cabunoc.

The attack occurred at around 11 a.m. at Barangay Payong in Sultan Naga Dimaporo town, Cabunoc said.

Cabunoc said the MILF attack in Lanao del Norte was uncalled for as the troops were not in a rebel territory, or the MILF’s Area of Temporary Stay. “They (MILF) don’t have Area of Temporary Stay in that town,” he said.

The MILF, the largest secessionist group in the country, said last Tuesday’s clash happened after soldiers intruded into their territory — an accusation denied by the military.

School seized

Meanwhile, in Zamboanga Sibugay, suspected MILF rebels seized a school in Brgy. Samonte in Talusan town on Saturday afternoon.

A report on GMA News TV on Sunday afternoon, however, quoted MILF vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar as saying that they are involved in the incident.

The report said Jaafar did not confirm if Juaning Abdulsalam, the leader of the group that allegedly seized the school, is an MILF member. — AF/MRT/LBG/KBK, GMA News