Philippine troops, rebels clash in Maguindanao

From the Gulf News (Jul 28): Philippine troops, rebels clash in Maguindanao

Seven killed and 200 families displaced by outbreak of fighting

Seven people were killed, including one soldier and six members of a Filipino-Muslim rebel group, in clashes in southern Philippines, reports said.

Six members of the rebel group calling itself the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), the armed wing of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM), were killed in the clashes in Pamalian village, Shariff Saydona town, Maguindanao, Col. Lito Sobejana of the Philippine Army said in a report that reached Manila on Thursday.

Two MG-520 attack helicopters were sent to support ground troops and fly out four wounded soldiers, said Sobejana, adding that 10 BIFF members were also injured, based on ground reports.

Some 200 families displaced due to the fighting were temporarily housed in nearby school grounds, said Sobejana.

“Kagi Karialan, a self-proclaimed BIFM-BIFF leader was urged to surrender,” Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, said in a statement sent to Manila’s military headquarters.

But Abu Misri Mama, BIFM-BIFF spokesman said, “Karialan’s group is a breakaway faction.

”Karialan reportedly ousted Ismael Abubakar, alias ‘Bongos,’ who took over BIFM-BIFF’s leadership after the death of BIFM founder Ameril Umra Kato in 2015.

In 2008, Kato broke away from the 38-year old Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), after the Supreme Court ruled that the proposed Philippine government-MILF peace settlement was unconstitutional.

In 2010, Kato formed a 5,000 strong BIFF. The MILF declared the BIFM-BIFF as a renegade command in 2011. BIFM-BIFF also formed a tactical alliance with the 48-year old Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in 2014.

“It was an ironic shift of alliances,” observed political analysts.

The Philippine government and the MNLF forged a pro-autonomy peace settlement in Libya in 1976 which led to the creation of MILF as MNLF’s breakaway command in 1978. The Philippine government and the MNLF forged a second pro-autonomy peace settlement in Manila in 1996.

Only then did the Philippine government initiate pro-autonomy peace talks with the MILF in 1997. It led to a pro-autonomy peace settlement in 2014. But the MNLF was against this agreement.

Recently, President Rodrigo Duterte asked peace negotiators to consolidate all peace settlements forged by the Philippine government with the MNLF and the MILF, and get additional inputs from all indigenous Filipino-Muslim and other stakeholders – for a comprehensive peace settlement for all Filipino Muslims in the south.

http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/philippines/philippine-troops-rebels-clash-in-maguindanao-1.1869904