Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). INQUIRER MINDANAO FILE PHOTO
CAMP SIONGCO,听Maguindanao, Philippines 鈥� At least 18 people were killed in fighting that followed near-simultaneous attacks by gunmen belonging to the听Bangsamoro听Islamic Freedom Fighters in different parts of听Maguindanao听and North听Cotabato听on Monday, the military said here Tuesday.
Brigadier General Eduardo Pangilinan, commander of 6th Infantry Division based here, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer that one soldier was among those killed.
Pangilinan said the clashes that erupted in the municipalities of听Datu听Piang听and听Shariff听Saidona听in听Maguindanao听spread to听Midsayap听in neighboring North听Cotabato听province late Monday.
鈥淪eventeen were killed on the side of our enemy while we have one fatality,鈥� he said.
Nine civilians were wounded in subsequent artillery fire by the military on positions of the BIFF, which attacked military outposts in听Datu听Piang听and听Shariff听Saidona听towns on Monday, the Humanitarian Emergency Action and Response Team (HEART) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao reported on Tuesday.
In its report, the ARMM-Heart identified the nine civilians wounded in howitzer shelling as听Kingao听Omar,听Muhamidin听Omar,听Saida听Omar, Maxi听Gumandal, Omi听Akmad,听Sadiya听Akmad,听Esmael听Pendatun,听Sandiali听Guiamandal听and听Bohari听Pirot, all from Barangay (village)听Penditen听in听Datu听Salibo听town, also in听Maguindanao.
The non-governmental organization Mindanao Human Rights Action Center said it received reports that 10 civilians were wounded by听howtizer听shells, including an unidentified victim in the village of听Ganta听in听Shariff听Saidona.
Bobby Benito, the human rights center鈥檚 director, also reported displacement of residents in the towns of听Shariff听Saidona听and听Datu听Piang.
Abdulnasser听Badrudin, head of the听Maguindanao听office of the ARMM鈥檚 Human Rights Commission, confirmed the displacements, adding that at least 335 families had left their homes in the wake of the clashes.
Pangilinan said he would not believe that civilians were injured by the military鈥檚 artillery.
鈥淚t鈥檚 impossible. The fighting scene is too far from that village where civilians were reportedly hit,鈥� he said.
Colonel Dickson听Hermoso, spokesperson of the military鈥檚 6th Infantry Division, said the clashes erupted after BIFF rebels attacked the outposts of the 62nd Division Recon Company in Barangay听Damabalas听in听Datu听Piang听town and the 61st Division Recon Company in Barangay听Ganta听in听Shariff听Saydona.
Hermoso听said while the military got reports that 17 rebels had been killed, only five bodies had been recovered and identified as those of听Dris听Salik,听Mashud听Ali,听Nur听Hassan,听Mantawil听Kaliga听and one 鈥淐ity Hunter,鈥� an alleged top aide of BIFF leader听Ameril听Umra听Kato.
鈥淰erification as to the identities of another 12 BIFF members who perished in the ensuing firefights is ongoing with the help of barangay officials and Imams. They were hastily buried by their comrades,鈥澨鼿ermoso听said.
Hermoso听flatly denied reports that civilians were injured in subsequent military shelling of rebel positions.
鈥淲e know that we have not wounded civilians because the initiative of the attack came from the BIFF,鈥澨鼿ermoso听said, adding the military was certain that a lot of BIFF rebels had been killed.
Abu听Misry听Mama, BIFF spokesperson, said only four BIFF gunmen were 鈥渕artyred.鈥�
鈥淥nly four have died. We would never lie about our casualties because it is an honor to die as a听mujahideen. If only the dead can talk they will talk,鈥� Mama said by phone.
Mama also justified Monday鈥檚 attacks as retaliation for the July 3 abduction of a Mohammad听Abdulkarim听and his 14-year-old son,听Mehad听Mohammad, in听Shariff听Aguak.
Minhra鈥檚听Benito said it got a similar report and added that the victims were on a motorcycle when taken at gunpoint by alleged soldiers.
鈥淩elatives tried to search for the victims at the military detachment but the soldiers on duty reportedly said that the victims were already released,鈥� Benito said.
Hermoso听said the abduction claim was just the BIFF鈥檚 鈥渟trategic shift to propaganda.鈥�
Told that NGOs had reported abduction,听Hermoso听said the military would investigate it. But even then, he said, 鈥淚 assure the public soldiers are not involved and it鈥檚 not our policy.鈥�
In Sultan听Kudarat听province, which is adjacent to听Maguindanao, police said they could not establish any link yet between the discovery of an improvised explosive device in President听Quirino听town and the听Maguindanao听violence.
The IED, fashioned from an 81-millimeter mortar shell fitted with a mobile phone as remote detonating device, was discovered by a duck raiser around 8:20 a.m., according to Barangay听Katico听village chairman Sancho Salamanca.听With reports from Edwin Fernandez and听Williamor听Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao听
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