Outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on
Monday harassed two military stations in Maguindanao and North
Cotabato in an attempt to divert Army’s campaign against them
following attacks on government dredging project in Maguindanao, the Army here
said Tuesday.
Capt. Joann Petinglay, spokesperson of the military’s 6th
Infantry “Kampilan” Division based here, said two groups of BIFF rebels
separately attacked the detachment of 2nd Mechanized Battalion in Barangay Tee,
Datu Salibo, Maguindanao and military advance command post in Barangay
Tinibtiban, Pikit, North Cotabato.
"They fired rifle grenades from a distance because they
cannot fight face to face with our more powerful forces," Petinglay said.
She said no casualty was reported on the government side.
The Army spokesperson could not say if the Army retaliatory
attacks resulted to casualties on the bandits' side.
She said the bandits have resorted to “hit and run” attacks
against government forces, way different from what its propagandist have been
proclaiming they will face the military head on.
"We are expanding our perimeter defense on a dredging
project in Datu Salibo that will benefit no other but residents of the Moro
communities, including the BIFF," Petinglay said of the dredging project in
Barangay Butalo which aims to prevent floods when rainy season comes.
About two weeks ago, the BIFF harassed the government
project contractor claiming it did not address the right of way claim of lot
owners where the project was constructed.
But Petinglay said the contractor has already settled the
claim even before the start of the multi-billion project.
"The BIFF is mulcting the firm because they have been
losing resources in fighting the government forces implementing law enforcement
operations in Maguindanao," she said.
Speaking for the outlawed group, Abu Misri Mama, said the
attacks will continue. He denied the BIFF was engaged in extortion.
Petinglay vowed the Army will continue to protect the
government project “because in the end the majority of Moro people will benefit
from it.”
Meanwhile, the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao-Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team (ARMM-HEART) have
distributed relief goods to some 2,500 families displaced by BIFF atrocities.
A soldier was killed while another was injured in the
hostilities. The BIFF, Petinglay said, suffered more than 25 fatalities, citing
reports from ground troops who based casualty figure of lawless group to
civilian and local leaders.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=857337
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