(Update) 4 civilians hurt in BIFF bombing attack on Army soldiers in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 14): (Update) 4 civilians hurt in BIFF bombing attack on Army soldiers in Maguindanao

Suspected Moro militants, targeting a military convoy with a roadside bomb in Maguindanao Wednesday afternoon, instead hurt four civilians, the military said today.

Colonel Dickson Hermoso, regional Army spokesperson, said the roadside bombing at a highway in Barangay Sambolawan, Datu Salibo town came a day after Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) simultaneously attacked Army detachments in nearby villages of Magaslong, Sharif Saydona town and Buayan, Datu Piang town, also in Maguindanao.

Hermoso, speaking for the 6th Infantry Division, said the bombers could have targeted a convoy of soldiers belonging to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion but missed, hitting another vehicle tailing the Army at past 4 p.m.

He blamed the BIFF as behind the roadside bombing due to its “signature make” of the IED, a mortar with mobile phone as trigger mechanism.

The Army spokesperson, citing report from the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade, said it appeared the blasting mechanism of the IED which was fashioned from a 60 mm mortar malfunctioned.

On the bombers’ second try, the IED went off, hitting a civilian vehicle and wounded four individuals.

“The IED went off late so the convoy was spared. We are sad innocent civilians were hit,” Hermoso told reporters.Hermoso did not name the wounded civilians but they were rushed to the Maguindanao provincial hospital in nearby Shariff Aguak town.

On Tuesday night, four BIFF guerillas were reported killed after the military stationed in two detachments in Barangay Ganta, Shariff Saydona returned fire in response to BIFF attacks.

The BIFF, on several occasions, tried but failed to retake Barangay Ganta, a swampy village used to be the BIFF’s stronghold.

Jemaah Islamiyah bomb expert Basit Usman was cited in the village of Ganta but managed to escape with two other Indonesians during Army offensive in July, military officials here said.

His wife from Jolo, Sulu was captured but later released to government social welfare office.

Usman who carries a USD 5-million had been hiding in southern Philippines and in the company of BIFF rebels, a breakaway faction of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which sealed a peace deal with Manila.

The BIFF camp fell into government hands in July after air and ground assaults. The camp surrounded by running trenches and fox holes with a bomb making factory nearby, was also seized by government forces.

About 2,000 civilians have fled to nearby villages since Tuesday due to sporadic Army-BIFF skirmishes. The Maguindanao social welfare office workers are now attending to their needs.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=672933