THE sustained operations of the military in Central Mindanao against Islamic State-allied local terrorists and outlawed Moro groups—resulting in the killings of their key leaders—have forced the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and its remaining faction to enter into a tactical alliance as they attempt to recover lost ground.
But Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said he will never allow the terrorists to recover even an inch of the areas formerly considered as strongholds of the groups which have been captured by soldiers, particularly in Maguindanao, and even sounded positive that he could send the BIFF to its demise within this year.
“We will uphold our focused military operation against the peace spoilers in the Liguasan Marsh, SPMS [Shariff Aguak-Pagatin, Mamasapano and Datu Salibo] and other parts of the area of responsibility to ensure a peaceful and secured community,” said Sobejana, who was personally overseeing the operations against the BIFF and its faction led by Esmail Abdulmalik, alias Abu Toraife.
“We will uphold our focused military operation against the peace spoilers in the Liguasan Marsh, SPMS [Shariff Aguak-Pagatin, Mamasapano and Datu Salibo] and other parts of the area of responsibility to ensure a peaceful and secured community,” said Sobejana, who was personally overseeing the operations against the BIFF and its faction led by Esmail Abdulmalik, alias Abu Toraife.
The teams under Sobejana, a medal of valor awardee who had led in hunting the Abu Sayyaf Group members in Sulu “like rats,” has already cleared most parts of Liguasan and is now clearing the SPMS Box of BIFF, terrorists and other outlawed groups.
The Liguasan Marsh and the SPMS Box have been considered territories of outlawed Moro groups for years and no military official has ever succeeded in rooting them out there. It was in Mamasapano where more than 40 police commandos perished in 2015 while operating against Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.
On Thursday last week, soldiers clashed again with terrorists at Barangay Tina, Shariff Aguak, and the troops recovered an M-203 grenade launcher, a Barret sniper rifle, assorted antipersonnel mines components. They also discovered a gunsmith with assorted parts of firearms and equipment. Two soldiers were wounded.
Sobejana said the sustained operations against the group of Toraife and the main BIFF under Esmael Abubakar, alias Kumander Bungos have forced the two groups to enter into a tactical alliance, the first in years since the BIFF broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and since the Toraife faction allied itself with the IS in 2014.
The same operations have also forced the other remaining faction of the BIFF, led by Imam Minimbang, alias Kumander Kagi Karialan, to abandon the two groups, collaborate with Sobejana and his men, and rejoin the MILF.
Sobejana launched the operations against the main BIFF group and the Toraife faction in early March, beginning at Barangay Inaladan in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao. Here, several terrorists were killed, including an Arab identified as Rahman and Toraife’s two deputies, Salahuddin Hasan and Commander Bastardo.
“We are taking the operations against them altogether, [doing it simultaneously so as to end it],” Sobejana said. They were also looking for a shred of evidence that would suggest Singaporean terrorist Mauiyah had survived their operation.
The soldiers have also killed Alih Abdulmalik, Toraife’s brother, during an operation at Barangay Pamalian, Datu Unsay in Maguindanao.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/04/07/fierce-afp-campaign-forces-biff-faction-to-forge-alliance/
The Liguasan Marsh and the SPMS Box have been considered territories of outlawed Moro groups for years and no military official has ever succeeded in rooting them out there. It was in Mamasapano where more than 40 police commandos perished in 2015 while operating against Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan.
On Thursday last week, soldiers clashed again with terrorists at Barangay Tina, Shariff Aguak, and the troops recovered an M-203 grenade launcher, a Barret sniper rifle, assorted antipersonnel mines components. They also discovered a gunsmith with assorted parts of firearms and equipment. Two soldiers were wounded.
Sobejana said the sustained operations against the group of Toraife and the main BIFF under Esmael Abubakar, alias Kumander Bungos have forced the two groups to enter into a tactical alliance, the first in years since the BIFF broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and since the Toraife faction allied itself with the IS in 2014.
The same operations have also forced the other remaining faction of the BIFF, led by Imam Minimbang, alias Kumander Kagi Karialan, to abandon the two groups, collaborate with Sobejana and his men, and rejoin the MILF.
Sobejana launched the operations against the main BIFF group and the Toraife faction in early March, beginning at Barangay Inaladan in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao. Here, several terrorists were killed, including an Arab identified as Rahman and Toraife’s two deputies, Salahuddin Hasan and Commander Bastardo.
“We are taking the operations against them altogether, [doing it simultaneously so as to end it],” Sobejana said. They were also looking for a shred of evidence that would suggest Singaporean terrorist Mauiyah had survived their operation.
The soldiers have also killed Alih Abdulmalik, Toraife’s brother, during an operation at Barangay Pamalian, Datu Unsay in Maguindanao.
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/04/07/fierce-afp-campaign-forces-biff-faction-to-forge-alliance/
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