AFP: 7 N. Cotabato villages cleared, 31 MILF rebels killed

MANILA, Philippines – Renegade forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have pulled out from seven villages in North Cotabato, as 31 of their members have been killed and five others wounded as the fighting intensified yesterday.

Two civilians were also killed as the rebels retreated to Maguindanao, officials said.

Nearly 3,000 soldiers and police regained control of seven of the more than a dozen villages in four North Cotabato towns and hoisted the Philippine flag to signal the liberation of the villages from rebel occupation that displaced over 100,000 civilians.

Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesman Maj. Armand Rico said the third day of the offensive, highlighted by air and ground attacks, forced the rebels to pull out from their positions and left them with a substantial number of casualties.

There was no immediate confirmation on the number of casualties on the government side but sources said the military suffered five dead and more than 30 soldiers wounded.

Rico said the renegade forces attacked Barangay Takepan in Pikit town and killed Lucio Fano, 68 and his wife Sidra, 62.

“This bandit group brought with them the couple’s son, Dulcel, 42, who remains missing up to this time. They also burned four houses and carted away civilians’ personal belongings and two cows,” he said.

Rico said the rebel attack forced some 500 families to evacuate.

Rico said the combined troops and policemen regained Barangays Upper Labas, Lagumbingan and Baliki in Midsayap town; Sitio Tubak, Dunguan in Aleosan, Barangay Cabpangi in Pigkawayan; Barangay Gumaga, Libungan and Barangay Gayonga, Northern Kabuntalan in nearby Maguindanao.

Rico said the rebels withdrew from these areas that were the scene of heavy air and ground assault over the past three days.

As of yesterday noon, intense fighting continued in Aleosan as well as in other areas as MILF rebels engaged the advancing troops in hit and run assaults.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vice chief Lt. Gen. Cardozo Luna said some 100 rebels led by MILF commander Amiril Katoh Ombra retreated and crossed the river boundary to Maguindanao.

He said another estimated 100 rebels fled Monday night, dragging along their wounded and fallen comrades.

“Maybe they (rebels) cannot stand the pressure. They cannot withstand the beating. They are already black and blue,” Luna remarked.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu, however, said the rebels were “repositioning” yesterday in line with last Friday’s agreement with the government to pull out.

But he said the pace of the pull out depended on the troops ceasing fire.

“They’re repositioning to a place safe and far enough to prevent exchanges of gunfire from both sides,” Kabalu said.

On the other hand, North Cotabato Gov. Jesus Sacdalan said a few hundred of the more than 100,000 people displaced by the fighting started to return home.

“Many of them have actually nowhere to return to because their houses were burned by members of a renegade group led by a renegade MILF commander, Amiril Katoh Ombra,” Sacdalan said.

Sacdalan said Ombra and his men have defied the order by the MILF leadership to pull out from the villages they have occupied.

‘Product of war’

The government gave the rebels an ultimatum to pull out last Friday, then started pounding guerrilla positions with artillery fire and helicopter gunships on Sunday after the order was ignored.

The fighting displaced a total of 152,123 people in North Cotabato, officials said.

A total of 81,613 people sought refuge in government evacuation centers while the rest are staying with their relatives.

Government figures also showed the rebels plundered and burned a total of 83 houses.

During the emergency meeting last week to stave off a confrontation, the MILF agreed to order their men to pull back.

But instead of withdrawing, the rebels stayed and spread into other areas while attacking the troops, prompting the government to launch the assault, officials said.

Army regional spokesman Lt. Col. Julieto Ando said the rebels carted away more than a hundred cattle and robbed the farms of the villages they occupied as they attacked government troops.

Kabalu, for his part, lamented the high number of refugees, but called the situation a “product of war.”

“But who wants a conflict like this?” Kabalu said, adding the rebels did not want to prolong the suffering of civilians.

Separately Monday, another 300 rebels, also suspected to be MILF, attacked Tipo-Tipo town in Basilan.

The suspected rebels led by Amir Mingkong were reportedly protesting the results of the elections of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), officials said.

Basilan provincial police director Senior Superintendent Salik Macapantar said two policemen who helped repel the guerrillas were missing.

The rebels occupied the town hall of Tipo-Tipo, schools and several houses before government forces drove them out.

Officials said the Basilan incident is not connected with the operations against the rebels in North Cotabato.

AFP chief Gen. Alexander Yano said the military would continue the offensive until all the rebels pull out from the province.

“It is very clear that our operations have been focused in North Cotabato. It’s not widespread and simultaneous operations against all other base commands of the MILF, so that has been made clear. We have to again urge the MILF leadership to rein in their forces, so that peace will reign in those areas, not only in North Cotabato but the rest of Mindanao,” Yano said.

Yano said the operations would also involve the clearing of occupied villages of any booby traps and land mines reportedly left by the rebels. –With James Mananghaya, AP