Eighteen people, including two Filipino Marines and a child, have been killed in fighting between the military and renegade members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sulu, southern Philippines, reported local media on Sunday.

Fifteen rebels were killed and 17 other soldiers wounded in the fighting, which broke out Saturday in the southern island province, 900 km south of Manila, after a mortar attack on civilian and military targets by MNLF renegades led by a man called Habier Malik, according to the local daily the Philippine Star.

The same MNLF group briefly held hostage in February several defense and military officials from Manila to press for the inclusion of MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari in a tripartite meeting of MNLF, the government and the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) to review a 1996 peace accord between MNLF and the government.

The fighting also triggered massive evacuation of civilians from five neighboring villages, said the reports.

The military dispatched at least 10 attack helicopters and four OV-10 Bronco bombers to soften the MNLF defenses and pave way for the capture of the rebel camp in Panamao town in Sulu, the report said.

The MNLF signed a peace pact with the government in 1996, but Misuari rebelled against the government five years later. Misuari fled to Malaysia but was arrested there and extradited to the Philippines.

The OIC, which recognizes MNLF as the only representative of Muslim population in the country, has also asked the government to release Misuari to let him join the planned tripartite meeting with government and OIC to be held in Saudi Arabia.

Source: Xinhua