Zambo clearing operations to take 2 more weeks

MANILA -- Clearing operations in Zamboanga City will take two more weeks, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala told ANC this is to ensure that the barangays taken hostage by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction of Nur Misuari will be clear of improvised explosive devices. This is the reason vacuees have not been advised not to go back yet to their homes, he said. Zagala insisted the crisis there is over despite heavy fighting reported early Sunday. “We have eliminated the threat, we have rescued the hostages,” he said.