Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) fired 6 mm mortars toward a farming village here Monday night as they flee pursuing government forces toward the Liguasan marshland.
Nobody was hurt in when fleeing BIFF fired mortars towards a militia detachment in Barangay Baliki, Midsayap,
Peralta said the BIFF was apparently targeting a detachment of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit in Barangay Baliki but the mortar fell short and landed on a farming village.
Residents of Barangay Baliki, except for the men, have fled their homes since Saturday when BIFF forces attacked an Army base in Sitio Tuka, Barangay Pagangan, Aleosan, sending some 2,000 families fleeing.
An ensuing military offensive that included artillery fire left five BIFF guerillas killed and two soldiers wounded, according to Maj. Gen. Romeo Gapuz, 6th Infantry Division chief.
As the military intensified mortar shelling, the guerillas left toward Datu Piang, Maguindanao by crossing the Rio Grande de Mindanao. They however, fired mortars, toward nearby CAFGU detachment in Barangay Baliki.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported that about 2,275 families or about 9,000 individuals have been affected by the skirmishes.
About 10 percent of them have returned home but majority opted to remain in evacuation centers despite green light signal from military and local officials.
According to Tahira Kalatongan, Pikit Municipal Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Council chief, despite repeated assurance that the lawless elements have left their villages, most of the evacuees remained in evacuation centers.
“We have been convincing them that it is now safe to return home, our calls fell on deaf ears," Kalatongan said.
The NDRRMC in its report said the Aleosan-Pikit conflict displaced a total of 9,770 persons or 2,275 families.
About 670 families or 3,350 individuals were affected in Aleosan while 1,605 families or 6,420 individuals sought refuge in Pikit town, both in
“As if they fear for something, they know the situation in their localities, they may have valid reasons why they opt to remain in evacuation sites," Kalatongan said, adding that the local government could not force them to go back home.
Kalatongan said while the residents remained in various evacuation centers, the local government of Pikit and Aleosan are attending to their needs like food and water.
Many of the evacuees fled empty handed as they run for their lives when BIFF forces started closing in to their communities.
To ensure security of civilians, Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the Army will maintain visibility in affected villages to prevent lawless elements from coming back.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=554416
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.