New group of “radicals” behind attacks in Mindanao-MILF spokesman

From the Gulf News-Philippines (Feb 28): New group of “radicals” behind attacks in Mindanao-MILF spokesman

Clashes in Butig, which started on February 5, killed 55 anti-government gunmen as well as a number of government forces

A new group of “radicals” has emerged in Northern Mindanao and were behind the recent attacks against government forces, a spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) said.

Mohagher Iqbal, who is also chief Moro negotiator in talks with the government told Gulf News in an interview that a new group of “radicals” played a part in the recent violence in Northern Mindanao, particularly in Butig, Lanao del Sur. Over the course of three weeks, government forces clashed with members of the Milf/Moro rebels splinter, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIFF) as well as with a group headed led by brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute. The Maute brothers, whom military reports said were killed separately in clashes with government forces last week, were allied with the Southeast Asian-based Pan-Islamic group Jemaah Islamiyah. “The Maute brothers were not with the BIFF or the Moro rebels,” Iqbal said.

The clashes in Butig, which started last February 5, killed a total 55 antigovernment gunmen as well as a number of government forces. Reports said that among the items recovered from the scene of the clashes were black flags of the local branch of the Daesh. But alongside news on the neutralisation of several members of the Jemaah Islamiyah/Daesh, a new group that included several young members of the Moro rebels have taken part in the fighting in Butig. He said these young fighters were not radicals in the sense that they are not fighting for hardline Islamic aspirations but are termed so because they espouse a different approach on the aspiration for self determination. “They were disgruntled with how the government had handled the peace negotiations,” Iqbal said as he referred to the failure by Congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law, an edict that was ordered drafted by President Benigno Aquino III himself at the start of this administration. Despite nearly six years in the making, efforts to come up with a law and enact an edict that will embody aspirations by Muslims in the Philippines failed to fall through in Congress as the legislative chambers went on a recess in preparation for the May 2016 general elections. Until a new President is elected, it remains to be seen if the incoming government would honour the gains of past negotiations involving Bangsamoro. Reports said the recent fighting in Butig displaced at least 20,000 people as government conducted operations to root out rebels. The presidential palace said the government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), would assist communities affected by the ongoing military operations in Butig. Aside from being forced to leave their homes, some of the displaced also lost their means of livelihood. In a radio interview on Saturday, Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said they are also glad Moro rebels has been coordinating with the military as it repositioned its troops to give way to military operations and avoid misencounters. Quezon said it is still difficult to make a conclusion if the fighters in Butig are being influenced by Daesh. The three-decades old conflict in Southern Philippines has cost the lives of more than 150,000 people, a number of whom are civilians.

http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/new-group-of-radicals-behind-attacks-in-mindanao-milf-spokesman-1.1680633