AFP has another 72-hour extension to defeat BIFF

From InterAksyon (Jan 30): AFP has another 72-hour extension to defeat BIFF

The military was given another 72-hour extension to destroy the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) as some of their temporary camps were already overran by advancing government troops in Maguindanao, the spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said on Thursday.

 The military-MILF Adhoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) has extended for another 72 hours the joint military-police law enforcement operations effective Wednesday morning against the beleaguered BIFF,” Col. Dickson Hermoso said.

He said there were sporadic gunbattles Wednesday night until the wee hours of Thursday near communities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Hermoso said the joint mechanism is also open for another extension, if necessary.

He said the BIFF splintered into small groups but the military is familiar with such guerrilla tactics, for which elite units such as the Scout Ranger (SR), Special Forces (SF), and the police’s Special Action Force (SAF) have prepared. These government security forces are now conducting relentless pursuit operations while infantry soldiers concentrate in offensives to capture BIFF lairs.

The military and police are focused on clearing the Reina Regente Mountain from BIFF encampments, he said.

“This area is in the tri-boundary of Datu Piang and Sharif Saydona Mustapha, both in Maguindanao and Pikit, North Cotabato. Nag-break sila into small groups at running gunbattle ang nangyayari ngayon (is happening now). But we’ve elite units to go after these splinter groups,” Hermoso said.

“Nakubkob na natin ang kanilang mga stronghold sa Barangay Ganta at Barangay Bakat sa Sharif Saydona Mustafa. Bumagsak na ang kanilang ginagawang headquarters dito at hindi na natin hahayaang makabalik pa sila sa mga lugar na ito.
May training area sila dito at may sarili silang paggawaan ng improvised explosive device (IED), makukuha na natin ang mga ito,” he added.

“We’ve surrounded their stronghold in Barangay Ganta and Barangay Bakat in Sharif Saydona Mustafa. The headquarters they were building here has collapsed and we will not allow them to return to these places. They have a training area here and a factory for improvised explosive devices; we will get them.”

The military on Monday deployed at least three battalions or more than 1,500 soldiers to provide support for the local police to go after the BIFF following a series of ambush operations conducted by the group against soldiers and policemen who were to issue arrest warrants last Sunday against some BIFF elements.

Mounting casualties

Hermoso said the casualties on both sides were mounting.

“As of 6 a.m. today, we’ve 13 wounded soldiers and one killed. On the BIFF side, the confirmed killed is 40 and 12 wounded,” Hermoso said.

On Wednesday, Hermoso said some of the dead BIFF combatants were “child soldiers” aged 14 to 17. He called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other interested groups to look into the case of BIFF using minors as combatants.

The BIFF was formed in 2012 by former MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato. The military claimed Kato has followers of 250 fighters but the BIFF claims they have up to 1,000 regular fighters.

The BIFF was involved in attacking communities, taking civilian hostages and even beheading their victims.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79751/afp-has-another-72-hour-extension-to-defeat-biff