Residents, believed to be hostages, wave white cloth as they shout at troops to stop their operation in the continuing standoff with Muslim rebels Wednesday Sept. 11, 2013 in Zamboanga city, southern Philippines. About 200 Muslim rebels, enraged by a broken peace deal with the Philippine government, are holding scores of hostages as human shields in a continuing standoff with government forces for the third day with no solution in sight.ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – Philippine troops battled Muslim rebels on two fronts Thursday, after the insurgents attacked a second town near the southern port where they are holding scores of residents hostage in a standoff with government forces.
The rebels attacked predominantly Christian outskirts of Lamitan town in Basilan province on Thursday morning, said Vice Mayor Roderick Furigay. Five people were missing and two wounded, he said.
A regional governor, Mujiv Hataman, said that the assault was repulsed. Authorities said earlier they were monitoring the movement of rebel forces in that area and Hataman said that residents had already evacuated Wednesday.
Basilan island province is a boat ride away from Zamboanga city, where Moro National Liberation Front fighters have been holding their hostage since Monday, when government troops repulsed their attempt to erect a rebel flag at city hall.
The three-day crisis has virtually paralyzed Zamboanga, a lively trading city of nearly a million people, with most flights and ferry services suspended. Communities near the clashes resembled a war zone, with armored troop carriers lining streets, troops massing at a school and snipers taking positions atop buildings. A mosque and its minaret were pockmarked with bullet holes.