Military officials today urged Moro rebels in southern Philippines to stop fighting as thousands of people fled from their homes to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.

A 15-year-old girl was wounded Wednesday when forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its splinter Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) clashed along the boundaries of two villages, Damablas in Datu Piang and Ganta in Shariff Saydona, both in Maguindanao province. Four rebels – two from each side – were killed.

“I appeal to [both parties] to bring an end to their organizational dispute,” said Brigadier General Ariel Bernardo. “Please do not discount the innocent lives affected by your armed clashes.”

Some 3,600 people from 730 families evacuated to the towns of Penditen, Datu Salibo and Datu Piang, Bernardo said.

He told reporters the government has filed a protest against violations of a 1997 ceasefire by both groups.

“Again, we are urging our counterparts in the MILF to exert effort to look into these ceasefire violations and enforce disciplinary action on violators,” the general added.

The MILF announced this week it was giving BIFF’s leader Ameril Umbra Kato two weeks to return to the fold or “he would be declared outside of the coverage of the peace process and the ceasefire.”

Kato, who carries a 10 million peso (US$231,107) bounty on his head, will have to decide on or before September 26 if he is willing to rejoin his comrades.

The government has been asking the MILF to take action against Kato, saying the breakaway faction was a serious threat to peace negotiations.

“We hope the MILF sees that there’s going to be a big problem in terms of the peace process if they do not handle this Kato problem in a very sensitive way,” Marvic Leonen, head of the government’s peace panel, said.