AFP: BIFF forges alliance with Jemaah Islamiyah

From the Daily Tribune (Jun 13): AFP: BIFF forges alliance with Jemaah Islamiyah

The military yesterday confirmed links between the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) after JI bomb expert Basit Usman, who is among the Philippine and United States list of most wanted terrorists with $1-million reward, was sighted at a BIFF lair in Maguindanao over the weekend.

Col. Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID), said that authorities are now trying to establish whether the JI, the Southeast Asian cell of Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda terrorist network, is funneling funds to the BIFF.

“We are still checking it and confirming it (if JI is extending funding support to BIFF) but their alliance is already established,” Hermoso said.

The alliance between the BIFF and the JI was confirmed following the sighting of Basit over the weekend at a BIFF lair in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao.

Elements of the Army’s 45th Infantry Battalion (IB) and 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade (MIB) assaulted the BIFF encampment while pursuing the rebels responsible in series of attacks, including bombings, in Maguindanao since June 5 that resulted in the killing of one soldier while three others were wounded.

In pursuing the BIFF, the military stumbled upon the group of Basit, a JI-trained bomb expert, in the area.

“He (Usman) was there but he was not hurt, he managed to run,” Hermoso said.

Hermoso confirmed that Usman was there “making improvised explosive devices” (IEDs).

“We established the connection, that there is alliance between the BIFF and the Jemaah Islamiyah of Basit Usman,” he said.

“The BIFF has been using a lot of IEDs, it’s Basit who is making them,” he added.

During clearing operations at the raided BIFF lair, the military recovered several unexploded IEDs, detonating cords, cellular phones, lap tops, three M16 rifles, an M79 grenade launcher, a Barret sniper rifle, a .60mm mortar with bipod and base plate, seven different brands of motorcycles, a Toyota GRandia van, voluminous documents and military type personal belongings.

Two bodies of slain BIFF men were also recovered from the site.

Four women, one of whom was believed to be a wife of Usman, were also arrested along with seven children.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/afp-biff-forges-alliance-with-jemaah-islamiyah