Air strikes kill 40 MILF rebels

The Armed Forces Southern Command said that at least 40 members of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and two alleged operatives of the Asian terror group Jema’ah Islamiyah (JI) were killed during Thursday’s ground and air assault in Butilan marsh in Datu Piang, Maguindanao.


In a telephone interview with Camp Aguinaldo reporters, Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza, chief of the Armed Forces Southern Command said that the figures were based on intercepted radio conversation of the enemies following the bombardment of the Butilan marsh.


But despite Braganza’s claim, no body was recovered as of press time yesterday.


“Based on radio intercepts, we learned that there were 40 rebels killed including two ranking JI leaders,” Braganza said.


“Their tradition is to drag along their casualties and bury them immediately that’s why we have yet to recover bodies of the slain rebels,” the Southcom chief further said.


The Southcom launched massive air strikes at Butilan marsh at around 10 a.m. on Thursday following information of the presence in the area of MILF commander Wahid Kalil Tundok, along with Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) of unknown leader and some JI operatives.


In a separate interview, Maj. Gen. Raul Relano, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said the military monitored 200 to 300 rebels in the area during the operation that ended around 3 p.m.


Relano believed that Tundok’s group was responsible in securing the JI operatives, saying “this is his [Tundok’s] designated area according to our informant.”


In Cotabato City, the military is verifying the death of three suspected Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants who were killed in the air strikes.


Colonel Jerry Jalandoni, commander of the 604th Infantry Brigade, told radio station dxMS Friday that Abu Sayyaf bandits fired 50-caliber machine guns when soldiers tried to verify the reported death of the three alleged terrorists in Datu Piang and Ampatuan.


“The enemies attacked our men when they tried to penetrate the area. The helicopter was slightly damaged,” Jalandoni said.He added there were no civilian casualties.


The MILF said the attack resulted in massive evacuation of civilians from the villages of Tee, Ebpanan, Andavit, Dado, Gawang and Masigay, all in Datu Piang.


Meanwhile, Malacañang said military operations against suspected terrorists in Maguindanao would not affect the resumption of formal peace negotiations with the MILF next month.


Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in a statement that the operations are part of the government campaign against terrorists, and will be carried out as it pursues an amicable peace settlement with the MILF.


“We will relentlessly pursue terrorist cells wherever they are. We are confident this will not hinder the peace talks with the MILF which is also forsworn to fight terror. Terrorism is our common enemy and there is no disagreement that it should be defeated,” Bunye said.


MILF renegades attacked an army outpost in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on January 10, where 21 soldiers and rebels were killed.


The three Indonesians were only identified as Dulmatin, Maruan and Mauyha.


The MILF said the planes dropped 250-pound bombs, while the attack helicopters fired rockets at several houses on the marsh.


Military officials said they were operating against elements of the Abu Sayyaf and MILF “faction” that attacked an Army outpost in Mamasapano, Maguindanao recently.


However, the MILF denied the military claim, saying that targeted areas are controlled by MILF forces.


MILF chief negotiator Mohaquer Iqbal accused the government of deliberately scuttling the cease-fire agreement.


As soon as the first bomb was dropped, Iqbal said they officially informed the International Monitoring Team through Major General Zulkifeli Mohammad Bin Zain.


Iqbal said he called up Zulkifeli and informed him of the ongoing massive air strikes that the military is allegedly conducting against “terrorists.”“This is a repeat of similar aerial attack in said areas on November 19, 2004 against “terrorists” who turned out to be legitimate MILF forces,” Iqbal stressed. J. Maitem, M. Gonzalez, F. Marasigan

about time!

LOL MILF

why dont you give us your MIGS?

.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that found that funny.

Call to arms, comrade! The blood of the elite shall run thick in the streets. No longer shall we be the insects beneath their feet. No longer shall they be supported by our misfortune. I call for revolution! All hail Karl Marx!

Man, I need to go somewhere and start a revolution. It'd be a democratic one though. Or maybe something new.

I hope they do not kill the innocent civilians

I can only pray that the MILF's in the USA do not start rebelling

dumbass

LOLOL!!!!! The first word I noticed was MILF also! Wonder what would happen if all the MILFs in the US take to the streets and start revolution?

M.I.L.F.-Moro Islamic Liberation Front, much like the PLO.

there's another offshoot of this, a less militant group, M.N.L.F. (just change Islamic, with National) like PLO is to Hamas.