Army division commander visits front line against BIFF in Maguindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 3): Army division commander visits front line against BIFF in Maguindanao
 

Government forces and outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) continue to trade mortars and bullets in Maguindanao as the military announced it has regained control of a village used by bandits in harassing government forces.

"Fighting is still on going in Barangay Tee because there are still resistance from the armed men and our troops are threading on what we believed was a minefield," Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division commander, told reporters in Filipino.

On Wednesday, Pangilinan visited the front line, or about 500 meters away from actual engagement area between government troops and lawless BIFF, to boost the morale of ground troops and to personally assess the situation.

While Pangilinan was in the site in Barangay Tee, Datu Salibo, Maguidnanao, the BIFF fired rockets toward the Army position.

Four more soldiers were killed as clearing operations against the lawless elements in Maguindanao intensified.

“The BIFF was still firing mortars toward Army positions as of Thursday morning,” Capt. Joann Petinglay, 6th ID spokesperson, said.

Pangilinan and his team had just arrived in the village of Tee at 1 p.m. Wednesday. As soon as he disembarked from an Army vehicle, two improvised bomb explosions came in succession.

As he monitored through military radio, he heard a soldier seeking assistance as four of them were hit by BIFF bombs beside a creek in Barangay Tee. Then, another explosion.

Minutes later, the fourth IED went off as heard through military radio set.

This prompted Pangilinan to shell enemy positions with mortars and air strikes. For about an hour, two MG-520 attack helicopters were pounding the area with rockets while ground troops and military ambulance evacuate the four wounded infantrymen from Barangay Tee to the 6th ID base in Maguindanao.

“We actually captured the BIFF stronghold but it was littered by improvised bombs and the area remained dangerous," Pangilinan said, adding that the Army has not issued the green light for internally displaced persons' (IDPs) return.

“Once we clear the community of bombs, then we can safely say the civilians can return home,” he told reporters.

Sgt. James Joloro, among the four wounded soldiers, said he was leading a team clearing the former BIFF launching pad against Army when he stepped on one of the IEDs.

“I stepped on it followed by a light blast,” Joloro told reporters. “Luckily, the 60 mm mortar main charged did not explode, only the blasting cap, whew it is our second life,” Joloro added.

Since the fighting began on Feb. 5, about 50 improvised bombs have been detonated, defused and exploded in Barangay Tee and its environs, reports from the 6th ID showed.

Four soldiers were killed while 25 others were injured due to IED blasts and BIFF’s rifle grenade attacks.

Not less than 40 BIFF were believed killed during the month-long fire fight, the 6th ID said.

As the number of BIFF increased, the military augmented its forces. Colonel Lito Sobejana, 601st brigade chief, said a Philippine Marine contingent has arrived in Datu Salibo to augment Army units.

Colonel Mel Budiongan, 2nd Mechanized Infantry Brigade commander, said more than 40 BIFF are believed killed base on the data gathered by Army ground troops and information provided by the locals.

However, Budiongan admitted there was no body count.

Petinglay said foot soldiers found several shallow mass graves believed to be burial sites of slain BIFF but the soldiers did not touch them.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=862880