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`Manila: A Philippines military offensive against Muslim rebels in the south will be scaled down to allow Islamic communities to observe Ramadan, the military chief said on Tuesday.
General Alexander Yano said the military would limit the use of artillery and air strikes on Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) positions on the southern island of Mindanao.
"We're adjusting our law enforcement operations to allow Muslims to peacefully observe Ramadan," Yano said in a statement.
"Field commanders are not prevented from proportionately employing such firepower when extremely necessary in addressing imminent threats from overwhelming lawless MILF forces," he added.
Last week, the government rejected calls last week to suspend operations against the guerrillas during Ramadan.
There has been no major clashes between troops and MILF renegades during the last 72 hours, an army spokesman said.
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