MILF breakaway group kills 2 troops in market

From the Oman Tribune (Mar 5): MILF breakaway group kills 2 troops in market

Police on Wednesday reported that suspected sympathisers of a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) shot and killed two soldiers inside a public market in Maguindanao province in volatile Mindanao.

The killings were followed by an announcement that government forces captured another camp of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the town of Mamasapano, Maguindanao in their continuing offensive against the outlawed group.

Meanwhile, Senior Inspector Akmad Sarico, the police chief, said the two soldiers were buying from a stall inside the public market in the town of Buldon also in Maguindanao on Monday night when they were slain.

Citing testimonies of witnesses, Sarico said two “youthful looking men” believed to be sympathisers of the BIFF came from behind and shot each of the victims on the head, killing them on the spot.

He added the assailants took advantage of the confusion that ensued to grab the M16 rifle of one of the victims before the fled. The other victim was unarmed, he said.

At the same time, Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay, the regional military spokesman, reported that government forces captured another BIFF camp in their continuing offensive against the BIFF opposed to the historic agreement between the government and the MILF, which called for the establishment of a new Bangsamoro autonomous region in Mindanao.

Petinglay said the soldiers captured on Sunday the camp located just eight kilometers from another BIFF encampment in the town of Mamasapano, Maguindanao, the scene of the January 25 encounter that killed 44 elite police commandos sent to arrest international terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan who was also confirmed to have been killed.

The first camp, Petinglay said, was believed to be a training ground and “bomb factory” of the BIFF following the seizure of materials used in the manufacture of improvised explosives used to sow terror and violence in wide areas of Mindanao.

At the same time, Petinglay disclosed they received reports that many of the BIFF members had sought refuge with their close relatives belonging to the MILF to escape from the continuing military offensive against them.

But Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF chief peace negotiator, denied the report, saying: “We have checked it and it’s not true. It cannot happen because we have repositioned our troops in Maguindanao to give way to the military operation.”

Separately, President Benigno Aquino has appealed to members of the Senate and the House of Representatives not to dilute the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) aimed at bringing just and lasting peace to Mindanao.

“President Aquino’s appeal is, don’t dilute to such an extent the substance would no longer be there,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma told a Malacanang Palace media briefing.

Separately, Aquino spent about three hours meeting commandos before installing a new commander for the elite unit. It was the first such meeting since the clash.

Aquino asked the commandos to await results of a formal investigation to answer their questions, but promised to acquire more equipment and pour more resources into training the force, Lazo said.
http://www.omantribune.com/index.php?page=news&id=185538&heading=Asia