BY VICTOR REYES

AT least 13 Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels died while 30 others were wounded air strikes on a rebel position in Datu Piang town in Maguindanao Wednesday, the military said yesterday.

A soldier died yesterday after rebels attacked a military detachment in North Cotabato.

Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command, said troops did not recover any body after the air strikes.

The casualty count, he said, was "based on human intelligence" and reports of civilians.

Cabangbang said war planes struck at 9:55 a.m. on a fortified rebel position in Sitio Nimao in Andavit village.

He said the rebels abandoned their position during the air strikes.

Col. Marlou Salazar, commander of the 601st Brigade, said the air attacks were conducted following information on the presence of at least 60 MILF rebels under Ameril Umbra Kato, leader of the 105th Base Command.

Kato and his men occupied 15 barangays in North Cotabato in July. Troops forced them out in three days of operations.

Cabangbang said the rebel position had dug-in bunkers and concrete houses "which were used as cover for running trenches."

He said the area used to be a community but the rebels, who were flushed out from North Cotabato, occupied and fortified it after the residents left.

In the North Cotabato incident, Cabangbang said the rebels under Kato fired shots at a detachment at Pagangan 2 village in Aleosan town around 4:20 a.m.

Around 5 a.m., the retreating rebels fired at troops who were on their way to augment the soldiers at detachment under attack. He said the rebels withdrew after a five-minute clash.

The government fatality was identified as S/Sgt. Sandro Villagracia.

In Zamboanga Sibugay, a rebel died in a clash with soldiers in Timbabaoanan village in Tungawan town Tuesday.

Army spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the 30-minute firefight was sparked by the rebels’ extortion activities.

Brawner identified the slain rebel as Tumali Misuari.

Col. Benito de Leon, chief of the Army’s 104th Brigade in Lanao del Norte, allayed fears of residents of more attacks as he said the province is safe from atrocities from rogue MILF fighters.

MILF forces under Commanders Abdulrahman Macapaar alias Bravo attacked Iligan City and four towns in the province in August.

Twenty-eight civilians, three soldiers and a policeman died in the attacks.

De Leon is supervising the operations against Macapaar, leader of the MILF’s 102nd Base Command.

He said he has moved his command post to Munai town to better protect the residents of coastal towns while his battalions have established camps at the Bilal complex, Bravo’s former headquarters.

He said the 403rd Infantry Brigade under Col. Nicanor Dolojan is providing another layer of security for the coastal towns.

In Sarangani, one of the areas attacked by rogue MILF forces, Lt. Col. Edgardo de Leon told the leftist group Bayan he would pull out the 73rd Infantry Battalion which he heads if the latter could assure the safety of the residents.