From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Feb 1): Breakaway Moro group disowns commander killed in Maguindanao fighting
The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM) disowned on Saturday a rebel commander the military had claimed was killed in an offensive it mounted six days ago against the hardline Muslim group opposed to peace talks in Mindanao.
Abu Misry Mama, spokesman of the breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said Hassan Indal was indeed among the MILF commanders led by Ameril Umra Kato who established the BIFM after breaking away from the MILF about two years ago.
But he said Indal, also known as “Tambako,” was expelled from the BIFM and its armed wing, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), “for committing un-Islamic acts.”
Mama did not elaborate on what these acts were but added that the BIFM does not tolerate “shenanigans.”
Colonel Dickson Hermoso, the local military spokesperson, described Indal as a trusted lieutenant of Kato’s. He said Indal was killed in the ongoing military offensive against the BIFF, which entered its sixth day on Saturday.
Mama said he could not confirm that Indal was killed because neither the BIFM nor the BIFF had any contact with him.
“We don’t have any idea if he is still alive or not,” he said.
The military claims at least 53 rebels have been killed in clashes with government forces near the towns of Datu Piang and Saydona Mustapha.
Hermoso claimed that three child warriors were among those killed, but Mama denied the rebels employed child warriors.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/572458/breakaway-moro-group-disowns-commander-killed-in-maguindanao-fighting
While the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement/Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFM/BIFF) spokesperson Abu Misry Mama has often been disingenuous with regard to BIFM battlefield/casualty reports, he appears to be telling the truth with regard to the current association of Hassan Indal aka Mohammad Ali Tambako with Cdr Ameril Umra Kato and the BIFM.
ReplyDeleteA brief statement posted to the BIFM Website in October 2013 announced that Tambako had left the BIFM for unstated reasons. See the BIFM statement below:
BIFM OFFICIAL OUSTED
October 23, 2013
An exclusive interview to the BIFM chairman, Sheikh Ameril Umra Kato was conducted on October 23, 2013 at his hideout. It was related to the rumor that some high ranking members of the Movement have decided to get out of the Organization. When asked what was/were the main reasons for separation, he refused to elaborate. He told to the group that it's the exclusive right of the movement not to reveal to the public the reasons of allowing the desire of the vice chairman for Political Affairs to get out of the BIFM.
As far as we know, completely cutting the whole connection between Mohammad Ali Tambako and BIFM is the best of our actions, he told the Media Group.
http://www.alhaqieqiyyah.com/latest%20news4.html