Military and Moro rebel movement officials Thursday admitted
the clash between soldiers and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in
Maguindanao was incidental and unfortunate.
The clash between elements of the Army’s 601st Reconnaisance
Company and MILF’s 105th base command in Barangay Madia, Datu Saudi Ampatuan,
Maguindanao on Wednesday morning left two killed, one soldier and one MILF
fighter. Two other MILF members were wounded.
Capt. Joann Petinglay, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson,
said the elements of 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade were securing a government
dredging project in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao.
”They were part of the perimeter security of the project
that has been repeatedly harassed by lawless groups,” Petinglay said.
”In the course of pursuing the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF), our troops incidentally encountered MILF forces,” she said,
adding the mis-encounter was “very brief.”
That encounter lasted less than an hour that left Army Sgt.
Ronilo Quimbo seriously injured. He later expired in the military hospital.
She said the military law enforcement operations against the
BIFF was well coordinated with the GPH-MILF ceasefire committee. “It was
unfortunate it happened,” she said.
Von Al Haq, MILF vice chair for military affairs, said the
Army offensive versus the BIFF was coordinated with the ceasefire mechanism
implementer “but something wrong somewhere.”
He said the MILF is investigating the incident.
Al Haq admitted one MILF fighter was killed and two others
wounded in the clash. “The Army unintentionally stepped into the area of MILF
105th base command and the MILF thought they were under attack,” he said.
Petinglay said the Army has expanded the security radius of
the dredging project in Datu Salibo town and it reached Barangay Madia where
the MILF area was located. She stressed there was no intention to attack the
MILF in Barangay Madia.
Both Petinglay and Al Haq said the GPH-MILF ceasefire
mechanism has been strengthened following the incident.
They said steps have been undertaken to avoid similar
incident in the future.
Meanwhile, Petinglay said the Army is still pursuing the
BIFF who had been harassing the development project in Datu Salibo town.
Two soldiers were wounded in clash with BIFF while the
bandit group suffered undetermined number of fatalities, Petinglay said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=856052
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