MANILA ム At least five alleged Muslim rebels were killed and two soldiers died in a firefight on Saturday at the southern Philippine province of Maguinda-nao, the military said.

A military spokesman said the group that fired on a truck be-longed to the Bansamo-ro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Two soldiers were killed in this encounter. A second firefight re-sulted in the death of five alleged BIFF mem-bers.

The BIFF are opposed to the peace talks by the Moro Islamic Libera-tion Front (MILF) with the Philippine govern-ment.

Miriam Coronel Ferrer, the Philippine govern-ment chief negotiator, told ANC News that discussions with the MILF in Kuala Lumpur continue on the thorny issue of wealth-sharing in the envisioned Bang-samoro political entity.

メIt can go either way,モ Ferrer told ANC News.

Ferrer said if no agree-ment is reached Satur-day, talks will be re-scheduled.

Mohager Iqbal, the MILFユs chief negotiator, earlier said the talks were headed towards an impasse.

The talks was sched-uled to end Thursday, but the MILF had ag-reed to extend the ne-gotiations.

No less than presiden-tial peace adviser Teresi-ta Deles and Presiden-tial Spokesman Edwin Lacierda are in Kuala Lumpur.

The Philippines and the MILF signed a framework agreement on October 2012. DMS-Robina Asido