PNoy: AFP to Crush Lawless Rebel Activities

As the death toll on military assault increases, President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday said the AFP are going after the rebels to prevent lawless activities from inflicting harm on the population.

As the government finalized its peace pact with MILF on Saturday, it deployed the military against splinter faction group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The BIFF, a faction group who bears the belief that the MILF has compromised the peace process, launched many deadly attacks in recent years in an attempt to derail peace efforts.

PNoy also made a vow to crush militants opposed to an imminent deal aimed at ending a decades-long Moro insurgency in Southern Philippines.

“The armed forces… (are) going on these operations to prevent lawless activities from inflicting harm on our population, and to seriously degrade their abilities to again act as peace spoilers,” Aquino said.

Military spokesman Colonel Dickson Hermoso said soldiers had recovered the bodies of 37 BIFF members who had been killed during a three-day fight in and around remote southern towns. Hermoso added one soldier was killed while seven others were wounded. Hermoso described BIFF’s act as “strong but fading resistance” as against the 1,500 soldiers.

Hermoso said rebels had set off improvised explosive and directed mortar fire on government troops but the soldiers are now clearing the area as BIFF elements are now splintered into smaller groups.

Reports said three civilians were hurt in the violence, including two from a Tuesday bomb blast near a marketplace. The military blamed such attacks on the BIFF, said Hermoso.

Source: Gma News Online

Image Credit: newsinfo.inquirer.net