AFP intel operatives capture BIFF chief's right-hand man and suspected Usman coddler

From InterAksyon (Mar 16): AFP intel operatives capture BIFF chief's right-hand man and suspected Usman coddler

(UPDATE, 8:34 a.m.) The military captured Sunday night Mohammad Ali Tambako, suspected coddler of terrorist Adbul Basit Usman and his five “foreign-looking” cohorts, after hours of intense intelligence operations in General Santos City.

Tambako was captured together with his five security aides at around 9 p.m. in Barangay Calumpang, it was learned.

“Tambako together with his five companions were riding in a tricycle going toward the seaport area in General Santos City when our operatives together with police personnel flagged them down,” a high-ranking intelligence officer who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the matter told Interaksyon.com.

“Seized during their arrest were fragmentation grenades and short firearms,” the officer added.

The officer said Tambako was served an arrest warrant issued by Judge George C. Jabido of Branch 15 of the Cotabato City Regional Trial Court (RTC) for murder and double frustrated murder.

Tambako is the nephew and right-hand man of Ameril Umbra Kato, founder of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and former commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF leadership expelled Kato and his men for sabotaging the peace talks with the Aquino administration.

Tambako is scheduled to be brought to the police headquarters today.

Earlier, Tambako’s camp has reportedly been overrun by the military, which has an ongoing all-out offensive against the BIFF in Maguindanao.

Tambako and BIFF

Internal power struggle has shaken the BIFF after Kato’s successive strokes created a leadership vacuum and wrangle for power between Tambako ang Kagi Karialan, Kato’s chief of staff.

According to a military report, Tambako tried but failed to kill Karialan in a bomb explosion inside their lair. This forced Tambako to sever his ties with the BIFF and form his own group, the Justice for Islamic Movement (JIM), with just a handful of men.

Both the BIFF and JIM have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

After Usman escaped the SAF raid, the Jemaah Islamiyah-trained bomber and his men took refuge with Tambako’s group. Relentless military operations claimed the lives of three of Usman’s close relatives.

The military continues its all-out offensive against Usman and the BIFF. Before Tambako’s capture, government forces consisting mostly of Marines overran a two-kilometer fortified trench of the BIFF during a series of close-quarter battles Sunday morning in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao.

All-out offensive

Initial reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City said the fierce skirmishes started at around 10 a.m. at the boundary of Barangay Pusao and Barangay Tina and lasted for 15 minutes.

The military said BIFF elements together with some Usman followers suffered an undetermined number of casualties and left behind in their escape an M79 grenade launcher.

No casualty was reported on the government side.

“The troops overran a large encampment at Barangay Pusao. It has fortified trenches as long as two kilometers with concrete overhead bunkers. These trenches are parallel to the irrigation dike and with road pathway that can accommodate one vehicle,” a military commander said.

Citing personla accounts of civilians in the place, the military said the BIFF and their terrorist cohorts call their camp Al-Khalifa Islamiya.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/107005/biff-chiefs-right-hand-man-kumander-tamabako-arrested