( CNN ) -- A cease-fire has been forged between the Philippine army and the separatist Moro National Liberation Front , state media reported on Friday , citing Vice President Jejomar Binay . He made the announcement during an interview . The truce , which was to take effect at midnight , effectively ended five days of fighting that left people dead and wounded . The army and the militants were locked in a tense standoff in southern Zamboanga City . Binay said Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and MNLF founding chair Nur Misuari informed him of the cease-fire . Binay said that he will fly to the city on Saturday to help in the peace arrangements . Days of unrest . The unrest has fueled fears of increased instability in a region where the central government is pursuing a new peace plan after decades of violence . The crisis in Zamboanga City began when large numbers of rebels from the Muslim militant group came ashore at the start of the week . The outbreaks of violence have killed 11 rebels , five members of the security forces and two civilians , Brig . Gen. Domingo Tutaan , a spokesman for the Philippine military said Friday . Dozens of others have been wounded , he said . Authorities estimated about 180 rebels are holding roughly 170 hostages in six districts . Security forces blockaded affected areas , and the two sides have sporadically exchanged gunfire over the past five days . Speaking Friday at the Armed Forces of the Philippines ' headquarters in Zamboanga City , President Benigno Aquino III warned rebel hostage-takers that they face the use of force if they further threaten civilians . `` There are limits , if there is an increased threat to the safety to innocent civilians , '' Aquino said . `` There are lines that they can not cross . If they cross those lines , we will be obligated to use the state 's force against them . '' Some hostages have managed to escape , and about 20 rebels have been detained , authorities said . Thousands of people have been evacuated from the rebel-held districts in Zamboanga , a city of about 800,000 on the southwestern tip of the island of Mindanao . Separatist movements . The MNLF , a separatist movement founded in 1971 by Misuari with the aim of establishing an autonomous region for Muslims in the mainly Catholic Philippines , signed a peace deal with the central government in Manila in 1996 . But 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 , which has fought for decades to set up an independent Islamic state on resource-rich 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 . Aquino wants to achieve a 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 . CNN 's TIm Schwarz and Peter Shadbolt contributed to this report .
NEW : Vice President announces cease-fire for midnight 1971 . Muslims rebels were believed to be holding around six hostages . Security forces blockaded the rebels in certain districts of the city . President Misuari warned the rebels not to increase the threat to civilians .