Abu Sayyaf group. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The military’s operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group that later involved members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front last week in Basilan could have been avoided if it was coordinated, the MILF said.
“The movement of the AFP soldiers was not in any way coordinated with CCCH [Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities] neither the military informed the AHJAG [Ad Hoc Joint Action Group],” the MILF said through their official website luwaran.com on Wednesday.
The CCCH is a monitoring body for the ceasefire agreement between the government and the MILF while the AHJAG responds to the criminality and terrorism in areas with MILF presence.
“The raid at Kurellem against the Abu Sayyaf lasted only for two hours as they ran away but the exchanged of gun fires between the aggressed MILF Forces and the government troops took several hours,” the MILF said.
The military raided the ASG lair last Friday, as the Al-Qaeda linked group is known for cases of kidnapping and extortion. The series of clashes lasted for a day, which left 18 members of the ASG and two soldiers killed. It also injured about 30 soldiers.
On Tuesday, MILF Political Affairs chief Ghadzali Jaafar said that four members of the MILF were killed from the clashes in Basilan. This happened two weeks after the MILF signed a peace deal with the government.
A separate report from the MILF website said that four minors were also wounded, namely: Adzmar Abdurahim, 14; Hudri Julamri, 16; Basri Pamasad and Jihad Abdurajim, both 17.
The MILF also said in the report that government reinforcements supported by two jetfighter planes and four MG520 helicopter gunships “encroached on an MILF perimeter defense at Baguindan under Chairman Hamsa Sapatun of the Basilan Political Committee.”
Military chief General Emmanuel Bautista said on Tuesday that they consulted the MILF before the law enforcement operations.
He also said that the MILF group that participated in the firefight acted in their “individual capacity” as some of those involved have blood links with the ASG.
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