Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said Tuesday that military operations against the Abu Sayyaf bandit group will continue even during the holy month of Ramadan, which starts this week.

Teodoro reiterated that the government's declaration for the suspension of military operations is only for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), adding that lawless groups like the Abu Sayyaf are not entitled to a SOMO.

Meanwhile, the defense chief stood by the military's claim that the MILF aided Abu Sayyaf bandits during the day-long clashes in Tipo-Tipo town, Basilan province last Wednesday.

The military said the military's death toll reached 23 because of the MILF's ambush against Marine troops in Barangay Baguindan.

It had said that the Marines were on their way to reinforce a joint team of police and military elite troops raiding the Abu Sayyaf's main training camp in nearby Barangay Silangkum.

The military claimed that at least 31 bandits and Moro separatists were slain during the encounters.

Teodoro said the MILF should once and for all "admit that they cannot police their own men."

The secretary had said that aiding the notorious bandit group would "severely affect" the MILF's credibility to any peace settlements with the government.

He reiterated that the MILF should "order their forces in Basilan -- if they have command and control on the matter -- not to intervene."

Senator Rodolfo Biazon, a former military official, had also urged the government to put on hold its plan to resume peace talks with the separatist group because of the latest massacre of soldiers in Basilan.

Biazon said the military would not have incurred the heavy loss during the encounter if the MILF was not informed by the military about its raid on the Abu Sayyaf training camp. With a report from Leila Vicente, ABS-CBN Zamboanga