MANILA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- Philippine army chief on Monday said government forces have already seized at least 15 camps and villages of the country's largest Muslim rebel group in southern region of Mindanao as skirmishes between the military and the rebel group escalated over the past few days.

    In a joint press conference with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexnder Yano said some of the captured are actually communities which the rebels of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had turned into fortresses.

    He said the camps and villages were captured during the last 72hours.

    Yano also revealed that the MILF resistance against the pursuing troops is now waning compared to last week when he said MILF forces engaged soldiers in heavy fighting. He said the clashes that are reported on the ground are mere "sporadic."

    On Sunday afternoon, troops also overran a satellite post of the rebels in Maasim, Sarangani province.

    The military launched an offensive against the MILF Monday last week, shortly after hundreds of rebels attacked Iligan City and four Lanao del Norte towns that left 28 civilians, three soldiers -- including a lieutenant colonel -- and a policeman dead.

    Nevertheless, Yano did not say how many rebel camps the military intend to overrun, saying he is not that concerned about the seized camps. He said they are pursuing personalities led by field Commander Kato and Commander Bravo, leaders of the MILF's 105th and 102nd Base Commands.

    Yano said that the military has received raw information that other MILF base are attempting to reinforce or have actually reinforced the group of Kato and Bravo.

    By Monday, the military reported that at least 22 government troopers, including five militiamen, have died and 66 others were injured in the offensive.

    The fighting has also affected 48,089 families or 240,296 persons.

    The 12,000-strong MILF have been fighting for self-rule since 1978 and signed a cease-fire with the government in 2003. The peace talks between the government and the rebel group have been on and off over the past years.

    Violence has escalated in the southern Philippines over the past weeks after a territorial pact, scheduled for Aug. 5 to have been inked between the government and the MILF, was suspended by the Supreme Court on the eve of signing.