MANILA, Philippines, Oct. 26 (UPI) -- About 19,000 people in the southern Philippines have been displaced by conflicts between government forces and rebels, officials said.
Philippine Inquirer.net reported the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 7,888 people in Basilan and 11,953 in Zamboanga have sought "temporary refuge" with relatives for safety.
In Zamboanga Sibugay, the council said, four people were killed and eight injured, while one was missing.
Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr., the Philippine armed forces' chief of staff for operations, told The Manila Times soldiers were prepared to serve arrest warrants for 11 members of rogue elements of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. He said they were believed responsible for a series of kidnappings and ambushes against the police and military that left at least 33 people dead.
The fighting in Basilan killed a civilian, Abdulkahal Abdalsal, 53, and wounded two others, including a 10-year-old child, the council reported.
Three houses and a school building were destroyed, the council said.
Meanwhile, after ground and air assaults in Payao, Zambonga Sibugay, that began Monday, the military said Wednesday it expected "victory" Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.
