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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippine military blames ex-separatist rebels for deadly southern ambush |
| 2023-08-16 |
Splitters! [BenarNews] The Philippine military on Monday accused members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a former guerrilla group, of killing a soldier and a policeman during an attack in the south that left seven government troops maimed. In Sunday’s incident in Ungkaya Pukan, a remote town in the island province of Basilan ...Basilan is a rugged, jungle-covered island in the southern Philippines. It is a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, bandidos, and maybe even orcs. Most people with any sense travel with armed escorts... , officials said that 10 button men ambushed a security convoy guarding a Joint Peace and Security Team. The team is tasked with overseeing the decommissioning and disarming of former MILF combatants as agreed in a 2014 peace agreement with Manila. The team members were riding in two vehicles after inspecting the area — a former MILF stronghold — when they were attacked, said Maj. Andrew Linao, a regional military front man. "Our troops fought back, resulting in a firefight which lasted for five minutes," Linao said. He said the soldier went titzup, while the policeman died later while being treated for his injuries. The seven other maimed soldiers were recuperating at a military hospital in Zamboanga City. "This act is a clear manifestation of the perpetrators’ disrespect to their local government officials, the military, and their fellow Basileños, hence, we will not stop until these heartless individuals are identified and neutralized," Linao said. BenarNews contacted local MILF authorities but did not immediately hear back. Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of 101st Brigade and Joint Task Force Basilan (JTFB), said the MILF leadership "appears to have no control over its members," although he added that they had denied their members were involved in the ambush. "Right now, the pressure is on the MILF side to show their sincerity," Luzon told news hounds. The former separatist group’s leadership said they had no control over people not identified as their members, according to Luzon. "But the MILF leadership promised to look and identify those perpetrators," Luzon said. He said pursuit operations were continuing on Monday against the suspects. The 12,000-strong MILF was once the country’s largest murderous Moslem force until it dropped its bid for independence and settled for expanded autonomy under the 2014 peace deal. Demobilization started in 2019, and was to be taken in three stages. At each stage, those demobbed were to get U.S. $2,400 per weapon, including funds for education. Stage 1 covered 145 gunnies and 75 weapons, stage 2 covered 12,000 gunnies and 2,000 weapons. Stage 3, which started this month, is to cover 12,699 gunnies and 2,450 weapons. It’s odd that the Philippine defense department estimated 40,000 firearm in MILF hands. The separatists then became caretakers of a Moslem region although they agreed to turn over their weapons, while some of the ex-guerrillas were absorbed into the local police force.As long as the Philippine government surrendered the territory to the Ummah, that’s all that should matter. Except to those who refuse to give up the pleasures of the hard jihad of the sword even after they’ve won. In November, around 100 suspected MILF members attacked a military outpost in the same village as the weekend ambush, according to the military. Officials did not immediately say if the two incidents were related.Related: Moro Islamic Liberation Front: 2023-08-05 Bangsamoro leader: Militants endanger efforts to disarm ex-MILF guerrillas in southern Philippines Moro Islamic Liberation Front: 2023-06-27 Thousands flee standoff between govt forces and ex-guerrillas in southern Philippines Moro Islamic Liberation Front: 2023-06-05 Filipino soldier, militants killed in southern Philippine clash |
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