Monday, January 5, 2015

Army captures BIFF training camp in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 5): Army captures BIFF training camp in Maguindanao

The military captured on Monday a training camp of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) after hours of mortar shelling and ground assaults by the military, an Army official said.

The bandits have fled, leaving its camp situated in Sitio Pedtad, Barangay Midpantakan in Gen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao around noon, according to Lt. Colonel Markton Abu, commander of the 33rd Infantry Battalion.

Howitzers were fired toward the Liguasan marshland which was part of Salipada Pendatun town, sending Moro bandits to disperse to smaller groups toward the marshland.

Abu said the captured camp belonged to the 2nd division of the BIFF which served as its launching pad in attacking Army positions in SK Pendatun town and in President Quirino, Sultan Kudarat province.

A soldier was killed and three others were wounded Saturday when BIFF simultaneously attacked two Army bases in adjacent towns.

Abu could not say whether the BIFF suffered fatalities during the shelling which began before dawn.

He said the bandits have also been harassing civilians now that farmers are about to harvest crops.

A farmer who asked not to be named said they were forced to arm themselves in self defense since the BIFF had been making them 'target paper,' after sniping from the marshland.

"It always happen when harvest season comes," he said.

Abu vowed to provide enough forces to secure the farmers who will start harvesting crops next week.

In the past, the farmers were forced to shell out a sack or two every one hectare of harvested palay.

But farmers have been complaining because the BIFF demand was increasing and they were afraid they might end up with nothing.

”If we refuse to the BIFF demand, we are subjected to harassment forcing us to flee,” another farmer recalled. “When we return, our crops were all gone.”

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=721947

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