RESIDENTS seek refuge in a gymnasium in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao province on Feb. 17. The gun battle between two rival Moro rebel groups in the boundary of Maguindanao and North Cotabato has displaced more than 20,000 individuals. JEOFFREY MAITEM / INQUIRER MINDANAO
COTABATO CITY—Government security forces had taken full control of remote villages in North Cotabato that were occupied by breakaway Moro rebels following a ground and artillery offensive on Saturday, a military official said Sunday.
Capt. Joanne Petinglay, 6th Division spokesperson, told the Inquirer by phone that members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway of Moro Islamic Liberation Front, who were occupying Kabasalan, Buliok and Barongis in Pikit town since Feb. 13, have fled towards the marshy areas of Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao.
“The villages were already free of the rebels’ presence. Our men also scoured and cleared the areas for possible improvised bombs left by the enemies,” Petinglay said.
“We have stopped the operation. The next thing that we are going to do along with local officials is to work for the return of affected civilians to their respective villages,” she added.
Petinglay said the BIFF fled in marshy areas and it would be difficult for the troops to chase them.
Jack Abbas, a commander of MILF in the area, told a local radio station that they had recovered seven homemade bombs in Pikit and another one in Pagalungan, Maguindanao, left by withdrawing BIFF.
Zorahayda Taha, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, said the government provided relief assistance to around 20,000 individuals affected by the conflict in Pikit.
The MILF earlier said the military coordinated their operation with them to prevent a repeat of the incident on Jan. 25 in Tukanalipao village, Mamasapano town in Maguindanao where 44 police commandos died after an intense fighting with their forces under the 105th Base Command.
Petinglay said Saturday’s offensive was meant to drive away BIFF presence that caused massive displacement of civilians in the towns of Pagalungan in Pikit.
“The police and military will not allow these rebel groups to continue creating havoc and fear among the populace,” she said. “We will exert utmost effort to contain the fighting in specific areas so that it will not spill over, and to ensure that order and security will be restored,” she added.
She said as a result of their operation, there were casualties on the BIFF side and they are waiting for the official report of their ground commanders.
The skirmishes in Pikit, North Cotabato, and in nearby Pagalungan in Maguindanao that started Feb. 13 had something to do with land dispute between Commander Gani Saligan of the BIFF and Jack Abbas of the MILF.
The military said more than 250 BIFF rebels occupied three villages, forcing civilians to evacuate to safer grounds. Datukong Ampuan, known as “Commander Falcon” of MILF, and five of his followers, were reportedly killed in the clashes with BIFF forces. Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao
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