Philippine troops have freed as many as 150 people who were being held hostages by Islamist guerillas in and around the southern city of Zamboanga. 

The military’s counter offensive against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) began on 9 September and they’ve taken back 70 percent of towns and villages that were in the hands of the Islamists.  Many area residents became internal refugees camped out in Zamboanga City’s main sports stadium while the military sorted out the rebels.

As of Tuesday, the military placed the number of casualties from the Zamboanga crisis to 250, including 90 dead and 160 wounded.  The vast majority are MNLF fighters.

One group of rebels agreed to surrender to one of their hostages, Senior Superintendent Jose Chiquito Malayo.  The rebels earlier in the crisis took him and three of his men. 

The government is ordering local offices to continue to provide services for as long as possible, and officials are considering restoring airline service to Mindanao as the rebels are pushed back into a handful of coastal villages.