This was the assessment of 6th Infantry Division commander
Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, currently the chief of Task Force Central, a
joint Army, Marines and PNP, formed to neutralize the BIFF.
"They have splintered into smaller groups, they are
running out of bullets and they are demoralized," Pangilinan said of the
BIFF, an outlawed Moro armed group believed to be coddling foreign terrorist
involved in bombings in Midnanao.
"We are gaining headway, sooner or later, we can finish
this operation," Pangilinan told reporters.
At least 73 BIFF have been killed, 33 wounded while the
military has four fatalities, including an Army captain, and 29 wounded.
"There's no let up in our campaign, we are closing in
to their location," said Pangilinan, referring to the so called SPMS box
where the BIFF strongholds were located.
The SPMS refers to the towns of Shariff Aguak, Pagatin
(Saudi Ampatuan), Mamasapano and Shariff Saydona, all in Maguindanao's second
district.
The fighting, which entered its 12th day today, has escalated
to Gundulungan and Talayan towns, also in Maguindanao after BIFF engaged
elements of the Philippine Marines in overnight skirmishes. It also forced
civilians in about 15 villages to flee to safer grounds.
Meanwhile, the military has provided decent burial to four
slain BIFF, one of whom was wearing fatigue uniform of PNP Special Action Force
slain in the January 25 Mamasapano encounter.
The slain BIFF members identified as Jack Norodin, Kaharudin
Pendatu, Tahir Sapal, and Murad Duwang, were turned over to local officials
before they will be handed over to their families on Sunday, according to
Colonel Emmanuel Salamat, 1st Marine Brigade commander.
They were believed to be part of an armed group which
ambushed 10 SAF members who were part of the blocking force of SAF seaborne
that killed Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan.
Salamat said the four bandits were felled by snipers of the
26th and 36th Marine Companies, which broke through the BIFF’s defense cordon
encircling the BIFF camp in Barangay Dasikil, Mamasapano.
The Philippine Marines have hoisted the Philippine flag in
Barangay Dasikil, Mamasapano believed to be the second biggest BIFF camp where
improvised explosive device were manufactured and set off in passenger buses,
public markets and populated areas in North Cotabato .
Pangilinan has a standing order to all units under him to
facilitate decent burials for every gunman neutralized and ensure that they are
officially handed over to local government officials.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=743101
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