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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