MILITARY and police agents arrested a high-ranking leader of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) Monday night, dealing a blow to the group that broke away from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an Armed Forces spokesman said Tuesday.
He said Pagao did not resist arrest as government agents served a warrant of arrest on him for a string of criminal charges.
Kakilala said Pagao is the finance officer of the BIFF and its political arm, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement.
“Pagao is also the deputy commander of the BIFF’s 4th Division and among the spiritual advisers of the group,” Kakilala said.
Government agents found a grenade and a loaded caliber .45 pistol on the BIFF leader, he added.
With the arrest of Pagao and other leaders, the BIFF was crumbling, Kakilala said.
An intelligence officer said Pagao was among the BIFF commanders who escaped a military dragnet before the launch of an all-out offensive.
“Our intelligence agents were able to pinpoint his hideout in the city and they did not lose sight of him until he was arrested last night. More BIFF personalities will be arrested in the few days. We’re intensifying our intelligence operations against them,” the officer said.
Recently, BIFF commander Mohammad Ali Tambako along with five security aides were captured in Barangay Calumpang, General Santos City.
This was followed by the death of Commander Yusuf Abesali in a firefight over the weekend in Barangay Pamalian, Shariff Saydona, Maguindanao.
The military said two other commanders were killed in the encounter while scores were wounded, including the son of Kagi Karialan, chief of staff of BIFF founder Ameril Umbra Kato.
Tamabako’s group had protected Filipino bomb-maker Abdul Basit Usman after he escaped a police raid on Jan. 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir alias Marwan was killed in the operation, but 44 police commandos also lost their lives. Another Malaysian terrorist, Amin Baco alias Jihad, was believed to be with the fleeing Usman and four other “foreign-looking” terrorists.
On Monday, Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said they have scaled down the all-out offensive, saying the armed capability of the BIFF was already crippled by half.
He said focused operations would continue against the BIFF, which had broken into small groups.
A Palace spokesman said Tuesday government forces will continue to hunt down Usman and the other terrorists who fled with him.
http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/04/01/military-arrests-yet-another-biff-leader/
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