BIFF coddling terrorists split into small groups as military inserts more elite forces

From InterAksyon (Mar 19): BIFF coddling terrorists split into small groups as military inserts more elite forces

The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) coddling foreign terrorists have split into smaller groups, as the military assigned more elite forces to run after them and Filipino bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman, it was learned Tuesday.

BIFF has split into what the military calls the “SPMS box” for the towns of Salvo, Pagatin, Mamasapano, and Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao.

“The fleeing terrorists and their BIFF coddlers have splintered into small groups but our combat boots on ground quickly adapted to this kind of ‘escape and evasion tactics’ of the enemy by inserting our elite forces to relentlessly hunt them,” Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman and Civil Relations Service (CRS) commander Brigadier General Joselito “Joey” Kakilala told Interaksyon.com.

The elite forces are mostly skilled snipers and close-quarter combatants.

“As I said earlier, we will not let them rest until they will be cornered and captured. Fresh troops will be coming in from time to time to keep them away from seeking sanctuary to civilian communities,” Kakilala said.

He said there were some skirmishes Monday night and earl morning Tuesday in Barangay Pusao, Mamasapano with small BIFF groups but no casualties have been recorded on both sides this time.

“According to our ground commanders, these skirmishes showed strong resistance from the enemy -which make them believe that Usman and his foreign cohorts were still in the area and the BIFF is protecting and defending them. While close-quarter battles continue our infantry were sealing possible escape routes of the enemy as our elite forces are penetrating the target areas,” Kakilala said.

The second three-day or 72-hour extension for the all-out offensive launched by the Army’s 6th Infantry Division led by Major General Edmundo Pangilinan against the BIFF and Usman’s group is about to expire Tuesday midnight.

But Pangilinan said pursuit operations will continue to keep the BIFF elements and the terrorists from taking refuge in civilian communities for logistical support.

He said all possible supply routes going to areas where the BIFF and the terrorists were in hiding are already being sealed.

The BIFF on the run are the groups of Kagi Karialan, chief of staff of BIFF founder Ameril Umbra Kato; Mohammad Ali Tambako, Kato’s nephew who formed his own Justice for Islamic Movement (JIM) with a handful of followers; and a certain commander Bungos.

Meanwhile, Kakilala said forensic experts of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were cross-matching the serial numbers of the high-powered firearms recovered from the slain BIFF members last Saturday in Shariff Saydona.

“There is a possibility that the recovered firearms may be the issued firearms from some of the gallant police commandos who perished in Mamasapano. We’ve to find that out,” Kakilala said.

In that Shariff Saydona encounter, government troops recovered an M60 machinegun, two M14 rifles, and binoculars, among others. The bodies of four BIFF men were also recovered.

“One of them looks like a foreigner with Southeast Asian features. Let’s wait for the results of DNA test being conducted by our forensic experts. One of them also wore a SAF uniform,” Kakilala said.

Since the 6th ID launched an all-out offensive as ordered by President Benigno Aquino III against the BIFF, 73 of the bandits have already been killed with 33 wounded and four captured. On the side of the government, four troopers were killed and 29 wounded.

Suspected Filipino bomber Usman and some of his men were able to escape during the pre-dawn raid of the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on January 25 in Mamasapano that killed international terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir, alias Marwan, a Malaysian and top brass of the Jemaah Islamiyah (JI).

The mission, however, ended in a disaster during the encounter with BIFF, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and private armed groups which killed 44 SAF commandos withdrawing from the area.

Eighteen MILF members and at least five civilians were also killed in the firefight.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/106611/biff-coddling-terrorists-split-into-small-groups-as-military-inserts-more-elite-forces