Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters opposed to ongoing peace process between MILF and gov't has claimed allegiance to Daesh
The death toll from just over two week's hostilities between
a splinter group of the country’s one-time largest Moro rebel group and
government troops has reached 16, with over a dozen reported wounded,
military officials have said.
The rebel group -- the Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters -- is opposed to the ongoing peace process between the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government, and has claimed
allegiance to Daesh.
The military is reported
to be using 10 armored personnel carriers, 200 ground troops and two MG-attack
helicopters to battle the one-time MILF comrades in the jungles and
marshes of the Philippines south.
Capt. Jo-anne
Petinglay, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said in a statement Friday
that the latest fatality in the ongoing skirmishes was an Army corporal
assigned to one of the 7th Infantry Battalion forces who died while pursuing
BIFF in Maguindanao province on Thursday.
Petinglay added that seven
soldiers were also wounded as fighting continued Friday between government
forces and the BIFF in the impoverished southern region.
"Two infantry men
have been killed since Feb. 5 and 12 soldiers wounded, including an Army
captain. Four civilians, including the Datu Salibo town treasurer, were killed
when the BIFF set off a roadside bomb on Tuesday night," the Army's
6th IDd spokesperson said.
"There is no exact
number of casualties on the enemy [BIFF] side since the start during the ground
and air offensives.”
The army has previously
said that six members of BIFF were killed during firefights with government
troops Feb. 16 in Datu Salibo town, Maguindanao province, the son of a
high ranking BIFF leader was killed Feb 9 during his father's arrest, while on
Feb. 5, two BIFF rebels were killed in running firefights from Friday afternoon
to early Saturday morning in Datu Salibo.
However, Abu Misri Mama,
BIFF spokesperson, told the Inquirer on Friday that since the fighting began,
his group had only lost one fighter while three others were wounded.
He claimed 12 soldiers
were killed and three tanks had been destroyed.
InterAksyon TV5 News
Online also cited military reports that Friday's casualties were caused by
improvised explosive devices planted by the BIFF, who were being pounded by
artillery and air strikes as the fighting continued.
It added that civilians
have borne the brunt of the hostilities, with at least 11,000 fleeing their
homes since the start of hostilities and that a number of schools have also
been damaged by artillery and rocket fire.
Petinglay claimed Friday
that government forces were closing in on the lair of the BIFF in the town
of Tee
The law that seals the
peace process -- aimed at bringing an end to a separatist conflict that has
killed around 150,000 people -- is presently stalled in Congress, as the
house has adjourned for election campaigning.
It does not reconvene until June 30.
The BIFF broke away from the MILF in 2008 and has since rejected the peace talks.
It does not reconvene until June 30.
The BIFF broke away from the MILF in 2008 and has since rejected the peace talks.
http://aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/philippines-govt-biff-hostilities-now-claimed-14-lives/524266
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