Police and Muslim rebels clash in Philippines; 43 dead

MANILA, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Police and Muslim militants clashed Sunday in the southern Philippines, leaving 43 people dead.

Most of the casualties during the 12-hour firefight were members of the Special Action Force unit of the Philippine National Police.

The deadly firefight broke out in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao, while police were in the area pursuing Malaysian bomb maker and Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan, and his accomplice Basit Usman.

According to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Marwan was killed in the operation while Usman managed to escape.

Militants from both the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were reportedly engaged in the firefight with police forces.

MILF, which has signed a ceasefire agreement with the government, had not been notified of the police operation and acted in self-defense, Mohagher Iqbal, the group's chief negotiator, told Philippine radio station DZRH.

"This incident and other recent acts of violence by other armed groups manifest the diverse security challenges that confound the peace process," Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, chair of the government peace panel said in a statement issued Monday.

Coronel-Ferrer expressed appreciation for the "selfless courage" of the 37 police officers killed Sunday and conveyed her "deepest condolences" to their families in a statement posted to Facebook.