Philippine rebels escape from school after hostages freed

Muslim rebels freed dozens of hostages while other captives escaped on Wednesday from a school as army troops faced another security crisis in the southern Philippines, military officials said.

Gunmen from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters maneuvered to attack troop and militiamen outposts but were repelled by government forces today, prompting them to seize villagers as human shields in Malagakit village in North Cotabato province, military officials said.

At least four rebels were killed and two government militiamen were wounded in the fighting, which caused nearly 1,000 villagers in Malagakit and two nearby villages to flee to safety, the officials said. The retreating gunmen, estimated by the military and police to number from 200 to 300, later occupied a Malagakit grade school building, where they sporadically traded shots with troops up to nightfall, said local army spokesman Capt Arvin Encinas.

During a lull in the gunbattle, 31 people, including a dozen children, were either allowed to dash to freedom or escaped from the school. Six other villagers remained in rebel custody, army brigade spokesman Capt. Nap Alcarioto said.

"They're the ones who ran and got trapped in the gunbattle and then were taken," Alcarioto said, adding that they were being held in two classrooms. More than 20 other residents who were trapped in their houses were taken to safety by troops, officials said.

Many of the gunmen managed to escape from the school after freeing the hostages, Encinas said. Troops were holding their fire because of the remaining hostages. The fleeing gunmen reportedly rigged some areas of the school with homemade bombs, Alcarioto said, citing statements by some of the freed captives.

The rebels may have taken advantage of a massive military offensive against militants aligned with the Islamic State group who have laid siege to the southern city of Marawi, and plotted to attack military targets elsewhere, military spokesman Brig Gen Restituto Padilla said at a news conference.