Troops still hunting down 3 MILF commanders

MANILA, Philippines - Troops continue to hunt down the three Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders and their men who wreaked havoc in three provinces in eastern Mindanao last year.

In an interview yesterday, Armed Forces chief Gen. Alexander Yano said the military offensive against Ameril Umbra Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo and Aleem Sulaiman alias Commander Pangalian and their men has not been relaxed.

“Rest assured that we have adopted our tactics and techniques in accordance with the changing developments on the ground, so it may not be too high profile, we may not be able to really see it on the surface, but the operations have not slackened,” he said.

Yano said ground commanders in Maguindanao, Cotabato, Lanao del Norte and Sarangani have shifted their operations to low-key and low-intensity conflict situations.

The military operations have not been highlighted because the MILF band has resorted to small unit actions and terrorist attacks, he added.   – James Mananghaya