Most of the displaced families in recent skirmishes
involving government forces and Moro bandits in Maguindanao have returned home,
an Army official said Monday.
Although Army Lt. Colonel Edgar delos Reyes, commander of
34th Infantry Battalion, admitted some refused to return home as of yet, he
stressed at least 90 percent of the more than 600 families have returned to the
villages of Meta in Datu Unsay town and Kuloy in Shariff Aguak as of Monday.
"There are some families who are still in evacuation
sites but soon they will return to their communities," delos Reyes said.
Delos Reyes' unit figured in a bloody clash with outlawed
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) for four days last week that left 33
BIFF men killed and 10 wounded.
On the part of the government, seven infantry men were hurt
when the BIFF set off an improvised explosive device.
The clashes started when BIFF, under Commander Bungos,
attack Army recruits of the 19th Infantry Battalion undergoing immersion
training in conflict affected communities in Barangay Meta.
Delos Reyes said the military will leave the communities
once the vicinity of Barangays Kuloy and Meta
are fully cleared of unexploded ordnance.
Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu has sent the
provincial relief team to extend aid to returning families. A medical outreach
program is scheduled to take place Tuesday.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=904998
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.