Mopping up operations in Zamboanga City ahead of schedule

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 7): Mopping up operations in Zamboanga City ahead of schedule
 
Mopping up operations in the areas formerly controlled by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Zamboanga City is going very well and even ahead of schedule, AFP Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Major Franco Alano said Monday.

"When I last attended a Crisis Management Center briefing, all indications stressed that we are ahead of schedule," he added.

Alano said that malls and businesses in the affected areas are now starting to open up.

Former MNLF-controlled areas in Zamboanga City include Barangays Sta. Barbara, Sta. Catalina and Rio Hondo.

He declined to comment on when mopping up operations will be officially over, adding that some unforeseen circumstances may crop up suddenly and render the estimates useless.

"I could not say the exact date but everything is on track," Alano stressed

The AFP Western Command said that they are still to identify the MNLF dead they have recovered as the remains are still undergoing forensic tests.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=573687