[Philippine Star] The Philippine military is monitoring movements of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, Maguindanao in seeming anticipation of a government assault.One security official said that tension is high in Mamasapano and nearby areas, as the BIFF has been mobilizing its fighters. He said, "Despite this, our troops are under orders to maintain their positions."
Mamasapano was the scene of the worst loss of life in Philippine National Police history, when 44 of its elite Special Action Force commandos were killed in separate clashes with the BIFF and the MILF last weekend.
More than 400 SAF troops swooped down on the remote village in Mamasapano on January 25 to capture Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir and his Filipino cohort, Basit Usman. But after killing a person reported to be Zulkifli, the SAF commandos came under separate ambushes from the BIFF and the MILF. Usman was able to escape.