( CNN ) -- Sporadic and intermittent gunfire rang out in Zamboanga City for a fourth day on Thursday as armed forces continued to clash with Muslim Moro National Liberation Front rebels holding as many as 180 hostages on the Philippine island of Mindanao . Lt . Colonel Ramon Zagala , spokesman for the Philippines Armed Forces ( AFP ) , told CNN that government troops currently had `` contained '' an estimated 180 MNLF rebels in five districts of the mainly Christian city . `` Right now we went to ensure that we keep them in those locations so they ca n't get in and they ca n't get out , '' he said . `` But unfortunately they are holding between 160 and 180 hostages . '' He said their original plan had been to land by sea and march on Zamboanga 's city hall and raise the MNLF flag . `` We stopped that but now our immediate concern is the safety and the security of the hostages , '' Zagala said , adding that Philippines troops were under orders to contain the rebels and were not engaged in what he called `` offensive operations . '' He said the intermittent gunfire that could be heard across the city was a part of the containment operation . `` Sometimes these elements ( rebels ) are trying to punch out and they fire at us so we also fire at them , '' Zagala said . He said the condition of the hostages was not known , but crisis managers were concerned about a lack of food and water . Zagala said rebels had killed two government troops -- one during the first encounter at sea and the second was killed by sniper fire on Tuesday -- and wounded 17 more . AFP forces had recovered one rebel body . `` We ca n't verify the rebel body count because we do n't have the bodies but the best figure that we have is that AFP has killed 14 MNLF , '' he said . Almost 13,000 people have been evacuated from the districts of Talon-Talon , Santa Barbara , Santa Catalina , Kasanyangan , Canela and Mampang in Zamboanga , government sources said . Zamboanga 's mayor , Isabelle Climaco Salazar , told a press briefing that she had been in direct contact with the head of the MNLF rebels , Nur Misuari , and the leader of the hostage takers , Habier Malik . `` Last night I was able to talk to Chairman Nur Misuari hoping that it would pave the way for the peaceful end of this crisis , '' Climaco said . `` What is of interest is that Misuari disowned the actions of Habier Malik , the leader of the hostage-takers with whom I communicated separately . '' Zagala said that while Misuari had disavowed the actions of Malik , saying that the commanders in the MNLF were free to carry out actions as they wished , he said it was the government 's belief that Misuari was behind the current rebel action . The MNLF , a separatist movement founded in 1971 by Nur Misuari with the aim of establishing an autonomous region for Muslims in this mainly Catholic country , signed a peace deal with the central government in Manila in 1996 , though some of its members have broken away to continue a violent campaign . Last month , Misuari issued a `` declaration of independence '' for the Moro nation -- referring to Mindanao 's indigenous Muslim population -- after complaining that the MNLF had been left out of a recent wealth-sharing agreement with another insurgent group , the Moro Islamic Liberation Front , or MILF , which has fought for decades to set up an independent Islamic state on the resource-rich island of Mindanao . Under the agreement signed this year , Muslims will get a 75 % share of income derived from the exploitation of metallic minerals in the area -- reported to include gold and copper . The current stand-off is believed to be linked to the terms of the agreement . Philippine President Benigno Aquino 's plan is to achieve lasting peace in the region by 2016 when his term ends . Agreements have yet to be reached on power-sharing and normalization , which means giving up arms . A report published last year by the International Crisis Group warned that the peace process needed to find ways to support insurgents as they build normal , civilian lives .
Sporadic gunfire as soldiers fight Muslim rebels in Cebu City . Reports of smoke billowing from the Santa Cruz district . Two AFP troops have been killed and an estimated14 rebels injured . The government says negotiations are continuing with rebels .