AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Although it has failed to capture wanted Filipino terrorist and bomb-maker Basit Usman, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday announced it was ending its all-out military offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).
“We have achieved our objectives, including the neutralization of more than 50 percent of their ranks, the capture of bomb factories and the seizure of their enclaves or safe havens in different Maguindanao localities,” AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said Monday.
Since the start of the military offensive on Feb. 21, 151 BIFF rebels have been killed, 64 wounded and 12 captured.
In fresh fighting in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao, on Sunday, 23 Moro rebels, including three ranking BIFF leaders, were killed. Four soldiers were killed in the clash, the Army said.
Catapang, however, said the military would still pursue the BIFF rebels to their hideouts in small-scale operations.
Splintered
In a press briefing at Villamor Airbase, the Chief of Staff said the BIFF had “splintered into small groups” to evade pursuing troops.
But the military has yet to capture Usman, who was also the target of the ill-fated Jan. 25 Special Action Force (SAF) operation that took down Malaysian bombmaker Zulkifli Bin Hir, aka Marwan.
Marwan was killed along with 44 SAF elite commandos who clashed with the BIFF and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Asked why the AFP was ending its offensive against the BIFF, Catapang said: “We are just ending the all-out offensive because they have splintered into smaller groups. We will now operate in smaller groups.”
From groups of 50 to 100, the military said the BIFF was now moving around in groups of 20 to 30 men.
Nowhere to hide
“This one will be small-sized operations, Ranger type. We now control the Salvo, Pagatin, Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak box. If they enter the box as happened yesterday, they will be annihilated because all the troops here are now concentrated in this area,” Catapang said.
He stressed that with the cooperation of local government officials, residents and MILF, the BIFF rebels had nowhere to hide.
In addition, the military will coordinate with local authorities for the safe return of over 100,000 residents who left their homes to flee the fighting.
Catapang said they would now focus on rebuilding the affected communities and supporting the development projects intended to spur economic activity.
As this developed, Col. Melquiades Feliciano, 601st Brigade commander, said fighting in two separate areas in Maguindanao erupted on Sunday after BIFF rebels returned to their encampment in the town of Datu Unsay. Julie M. Aurelio; with Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao