Philippine Leaders Descend on Strife-Torn City Amid Crisis Bullit Marquez/Associated Press Thousands of villagers were camped out at a stadium to flee the fighting between Philippine government forces and Muslim rebels on Saturday in Zamboanga City. MANILA - The top civilian and military leadership in the Philippines met in an embattled southern city on Saturday to discuss strategies for dealing with some of the most serious violence to strike the country in years. President Benigno S. Aquino III arrived in Zamboanga City on Friday, with one of his escort helicopters taking small-arms fire as he landed, to coordinate the national government's response to a crisis that has killed at least 55 people, displaced more than 62,000 and crippled a once peaceful trading enclave. The crisis began early Monday morning when several hundred armed men from the Moro National Liberation Front landed by boat in Zamboanga City and tried to raise their flag over City Hall and declare independence from the national government, according to the police. When police officers and the military tried to stop them, the insurgents took hostages in several seaside neighborhoods and have since been in a standoff with government forces. Rebel leaders have said that their march to City Hall was peaceful and they were attacked by the military and had to defend themselves. On Saturday, Zamboanga City's mayor, Beng Climaco, said in an emotional statement during an afternoon news conference that she had turned over management of the crisis to national officials. "The spate of events that unfolded and continue to unfold are very heartbreaking and upsetting," she said. Saturday's meeting in the embattled city included the top civilian and military leadership of the country. In addition to Mr. Aquino attendees included Vice President Jejomar Binay, the secretary of national defense, Voltaire Gazmin, and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas. Mr. Roxas told reporters after the meeting that the military's strategy had been to contain the rebels to the affected neighborhoods and prevent the violence from spreading to other parts of the city. That has been accomplished, he said, and though he declined to offer operational details he said the military was now trying to clear the rebels out of the neighborhoods by retaking ground. Despite earlier reports of a cease-fire, military officials at Saturday's news conference said they were pressing the fight against the rebels. This included the limited use of mortars to shell rebel-held areas. "Regarding a cease-fire, we have not received any orders for that," said Ramon Zagala, a military spokesman. We are continuing our operations. As of Saturday afternoon, three civilians had been killed in the fighting and 28 wounded, officials said. In addition, three policemen had been killed and 11 injured, while two military personnel were killed and 38 wounded. Mr. Roxas said 21 rebel bodies had been recovered and 26 others were also reported killed. Some of the bodies were burned in fires that raged throughout the rebel areas, he said. Military officials estimate that about 100 rebels remain in the area. The fighting has devastated Zamboanga City, a relatively prosperous and peaceful enclave in the impoverished and war-torn southern Philippines. More than 400 homes in the rebel areas have been burned and major sections of the city are impassable. The airport has been closed for five days, and commercial ships have been asked to move away from the port area for security reasons. "The entire city is virtually isolated from the world," said Mayor Climaco. "Our airports, seaports are closed, classes, work suspended," she said. "Innocent lives have been lost, properties have been damaged and our economy paralyzed," she added. The Moro National Liberation Front signed a peace deal with the Philippine government in 1996 but many of its members retained their weapons. Leaders of the group have said a peace deal last year with a rival group, the larger Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has undercut the original peace agreement.