Fatal Cagayan de Oro blast pinned on breakaway BIFM

From Malaya (Aug 2): Fatal Cagayan de Oro blast pinned on breakaway BIFM

RANKING military officials yesterday said the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement was responsible for last Friday’s explosion in Cagayan de Oro City, which left eight people dead and  40 injured.

One of the officers pointed to the group of Basit Usman, a former leader of the Special Operations Group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

“Based on previous information and components recovered at the (blast) site, it’s more of the handiwork of MILF SOG of Basit Usman which is now affiliated with the BIFF,” he said.

The BIFM  originally known as  Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) was formed in 2010 by Ameril Umbra Kato, former commander of the MILF’s 105th Base Command.

“There was a training held in Lanao (del) Sur and it’s possible that it (explosion) was a test mission,” the official also said.

A second official said the training was held sometime last year. The trainors included a group from the Abu Sayyaf and the Southeast Asian regional terrorist network Jemaah Islamiah, he said.

“It was done in coordination with JI and Abu Sayyaf… apparently they (BIFM men) were on a test mission,” the source said of the explosion at the Kyla’s bar.

A third official said there is a “big probability” that the BIFM was indeed behind the attack.

“That is one of the angles,” he said.

The official said investigators are also looking into reports that one group is mad at local officials for driving away Muslim traders from the city’s streets.

However, he said, the BIFM angle is stronger than the political angle.

Last month, government forces launched law enforcement operations in Maguindanao and North Cotabato against the BIFM.

The operations led to the death of at least 80 BIFM men and eight soldiers.

Also last month, the BIFM detonated a bomb at a bar in Cotabato City, leaving a restaurant manager dead and three others injured.

Last Tuesday, BIFM men attacked a military detachment and a strafed an oil tanker in Maguindanao. Eight BIFM men and civilian died in ensuing clashes.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/index.php/news/nation/37549-fatal-cagayan-de-oro-blast-pinned-on-breakaway-bifm