Militants' bomb factory cracked down in Maguindanao

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Government forces have overrun an factory of improvised bombs in an assault to Muslim militants in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, military said today.

Melquiades Feliciano, commander of the army's 601st infantry brigade that spearheaded the offensive operations against the bandits, said his troops captured on Sunday the encampment owned by Mohammad Tambako in Dasikil village in Mamasapano, the stronghold of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"Our troops successfully seized a bomb-making facility after assaulting the enemy positions yesterday. The enemy was able to escape but the equipment and materials that are used to fabricate home-made bombs were left behind," he said.

Among those recovered include components for making bombs such as mortar fuses, ammonium nitrate, blasting caps and tie wires.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has launched an all- out offensive against the BIFF, believed to be among those who attacked police commandos during their operation against two suspected terrorists in Mamasapano on January 25, leaving 44 policemen dead.

Feliciano said Abdul Basit Usman, bomb maker and one of the two high-value targets during the Mamasapano operation, is allegedly being coddled right now by small bonds of notorious bandits from different BIFF groups.

Usman of terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group evaded arrest during last month's operation, while Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, a leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah, was killed.

The AFP said so far nine members of the BIFF were killed in the recent law enforcement operations in Maguindanao, while three soldiers were wounded.