Monday, July 14, 2014

Army hunts down BIFF in NorCot banana plantation attacks

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 14): Army hunts down BIFF in NorCot banana plantation attacks

The military has launched manhunt against a band of renegade Moro guerrillas who attacked a banana plantation Sunday dawn that left one attacker dead, police here said Monday.

About 30 heavily armed members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) stormed the packing house of Delinanas banana plantation in Barangay Dungos, Tulunan, North Cotabato on Sunday dawn, according to Senior Inspector Ronnie Cordero, Tulunan police director, said.

An Army Special Forces checkpoint nearby engaged the attackers in an hour-long sporadic firefight until the rebels fled back to the Liguasan marshland.

Police reports said the BIFF members, a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (BIFF), fired rocket propelled grenades toward the packing house.

In an ensuing firefight, one BIFF member was killed and an AK-47 rifle was recovered by government forces.

Cordero said it was the second time the BIFF harassed the banana firm. In February, the same group harassed Delinanas banana firm.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, speaking for the military, said pursuit operations are still on going against the BIFF even as he expressed sadness that it happened during the fasting month of Ramadhan.

Muslims, including BIFF, fast from dawn to dusk during Ramadhan.

Abu Misry Mama, speaking for the BIFF, confirmed they attacked the plantation and admitted one of its men was killed.

He said they were actually after the military unit stationed in the plantation because a BIFF member and his son were abducted by the military in nearby Datu Unsay, Maguindanao over the weekend.

Mama claimed that Mohamad “Madz” Abdulkarim and his son, Mehan Mohammad, 14, were on board a motorcycle heading for home after selling agricultural products in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao were flagged down by the 45th Infantry Battalion soldiers in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao.

The Army dismissed Mama’s claim as propaganda after they lost one BIFF member in a clash with government forces in North Cotabato.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=662241

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