More than 30 members of outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF) were likely killed in the two-day Philippine military artillery
offensive in the borders of North Cotabato and
Maguindanao, the military said Tuesday.
Colonel Noel Clement, chief of the military’s 602nd Infantry
Brigade based here, said the information on the number of fatalities was based
on the information provided by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and
civilians who have relatives in the outlawed group.
”We have no way to verify the exact number of fatalities as
Muslim tradition dictates to bury the dead within 24 hours,” Clement told
reporters.
”Based on our reports from the ground, more than 30 BIFF
fighters were buried in at least two mass graves,” he said.
Lt. Colonel Audie Edralin, 7th Infantry Battalion, said
civilians have already started returning home after the Army cleared the
affected villages.
These are Barangays Bulod, Bulol, Barongis, Rajamuda and
Buliok in Pikit; and Kalbugan in Pagalungan, Maguindanao.
”They (BIFF) dispersed and fled toward Sultan sa Barongis,”
he said.
More than 50 rounds of howitzers and mortars were fired by
the military to drive away the lawless elements who have repeatedly harassing
civilians at the same time engaging the MILF in a week-long fire fight.
”We have a very accurate target because the MILF in the area
provided us the exact BIFF location,” an Army intelligence officer told
reporters.
Edralin also said the military is providing back up support
to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in North Cotabato
following reports and public pronouncement made by Abu Misry Mama, speaking for
the BIFF.
Mama, who admitted his group retreated toward the Liguasan
marshland, said he suspected the provincial government, through Governor
Emmylou Mendoza, has been helping the MILF to drive his group out of North Cotabato .
And because of that, Mama said his group will strike at the
provincial capitol or Kidapawan
City
”We will help North Cotabato PNP to protect the provincial
capitol and other government agencies,” Edralin said. “The threat remains.”
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=738271
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