By Manny Mogato

TAGBAK, Philippines, April 19 (Reuters) - "It's still a no man's land out there," said Merilyn Askali as she distributed fish to hundreds of evacuees on the Philippine island of Jolo.

Residents of this Muslim isle, 950 km (600 miles) south of Manila, are well used to conflict after decades spent repulsing troops from the largely Catholic central government and centuries of opposition to Spanish colonisers.

But renewed hostilities between Muslim rebel group, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and government forces forces are a bitter disappointment to locals who had hoped the island was becoming more stable after years as an infamous no-go zone.

Around 30 rebels, three soldiers and one civilian have been killed since MNLF commander Habier Malik fired mortars at marines on Friday night, triggering fierce retaliation by the military.

Over 40,000 people were forced to flee their homes as the army dropped 250 pound bombs on Malik's camp, and thousands are now crammed into schools and makeshift evacuation centres around the island.

In Panglima Mahmah Elementary School in the village of Tagbak, eight out of 11 rooms were packed with nearly 500 people, mainly women and children. The men lay in the open field, dampened by the monsoon rains.

"We really want to return to our comfortable homes," 56 year-old Jul Mohammad told Reuters. "I can't sleep well. It's too crowded, too humid and there's a lot of mosquitos at night.

LUCKY ONES

The refugees in Tagbak are considered lucky. They have been given rations of rice, cans of sardines and packs of instant noodles. Around 3,500 families or more than 20,000 people, were still waiting for relief goods, according to the Red Cross.

The United Nations said on Thursday it would send 1,700 bags of rice.

Malik, who is on the run after government troops captured his camp, attacked the marine base in retaliation for the death of two MNLF rebels in a "mis-encounter" with the military last week.

The MNLF, which signed a peace deal with Manila in 1996, has been helping thousands of troops, backed by U.S. advisers and equipment, to hunt members of the Abu Sayyaf, the Philippines' deadliest Muslim rebel group, on Jolo.

The eight-month ground offensive has been considered a success. Over 70 militants have been killed and a buzz had returned to Jolo, where a night curfew was lifted and live bands now play on Saturday nights.

But for the evacuees huddled inside schools and tents, however, there is little hope of a return to normalcy anytime soon.

I'm afraid to go back," said Mohammad. "I don't want my family to be caught in any crossfire."

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