Philippines: August 15, 2001

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A major complication with the MILF ceasefire is kidnap victims taken by MILF members. Even though the kidnappers are sometimes renegades, and the MILF denies complicity, the army cannot launch military operations to make a rescue. This would violate the ceasefire. The military is instead increasing intelligence operations to pinpoint the location of the victims, and then try to get the MILF involved in a rescue, or get MILF permission to let the army go in.