A new batch of 16-man Malaysian International Monitoring Team (IMT) has arrived in Mindanao, southern Philippines, to supervise a truce between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) separatist group, reported the Philippine News Agency on Sunday.

The Malaysians arrived on aboard a Royal Malaysian Air Force C- 130 transport aircraft at Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao, said the report.

They will replace 36 Malaysians who have finished their terms as IMT in the restive region and will stay for one year in Central Mindanao and other parts of the region.

The IMT, which has been deployed in Mindanao since 2003 with support of the Organization of Islamic Conference, is led by Malaysia and joined by Brunei and Libya.

The Philippine government and MILF have been holding intermittently peace talks in Kuala Lumpur to solve the decades- long conflict in Mindanao.

Source: Xinhua