Cotabato City, Philippines - Malaysian peacekeepers on Saturday began pulling out of the Philippines' troubled southern region of Mindanao, with high hopes that hostilities would not break out between the military and Muslim separatist rebels.

Malaysian Major General Datuk Mat Yasin Bin Mat Daud, head of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in Mindanao, was among 20 soldiers that left Cotabato City, 960 kilometres south of Manila, aboard two Malaysian military planes.

"As far as I am concerned, our mission is accomplished," he told reporters before departing. "We have left a good foundation for peace. People don't have to live in fear anymore. We hope they will continue to live in peace, that's what we are hoping for."

"I don't see any reason for conflict," he added.

Malaysia has led the IMT in Mindanao since 2004 to ensure that the Philippine military and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) comply with a 2001 ceasefire. Other members of the team are from Brunei, Libya, Canada and Japan.

The deployment of the IMT team has greatly decreased violence between the Philippine military and the MILF, which is the largest Muslim rebel group fighting for a separate Islamic state in Mindanao.

Yasin's group was the first batch of Malaysian peacekeepers to leave Mindanao. There are still 12 Malaysians in the IMT that are scheduled to leave on August 31.

The withdrawal of the Malaysian peacekeepers came amid slow progress in peace talks between the Philippine government and the MILF, triggering warnings that armed confrontations could restart in Mindanao.

The formal negotiations have been suspended since September 2006 over disagreements on how to set up a proposed Islamic homeland in Mindanao, home to the country's Muslim minority.

Philippine authorities, including chief government negotiator Rodolfo Garcia, have expressed confidence that the remaining members of the IMT would continue to ensure peace in Mindanao despite the Malaysians' pull-out. (dpa)