Military operations to continue in Zamboanga Sibugay, Lanao del Norte–AFP

MANILA, Philippines—The Armed Forces of the Philippines will continue with its military operations against what it termed as “lawless elements”while ensuring minimal casualties, a military official said Tuesday.

According to AFP deputy chief of staff for operations Brigadier General Jose Mabanta, the military is securing three fronts in Mindanao: Payao, Zamboanga Sibugay; Sultan Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte; and Al Barka, Basilan. These three areas were where skirmishes against Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rogue members occurred recently and left a total of five civilians and 28 soldiers and policemen dead.

Mabanta said the military has ongoing operations in Lanao del Norte and Zamboanga Sibugay while they are still determining the situation in Basilan.

“We are determining the specific objective with one thing in mind: focused military operation, and the need for no collateral damage,” Mabanta said in a telephone conference.

Mabanta was with AFP chief General Eduardo Oban in Zamboanga where they had a command conference with local military commanders regarding the ongoing attacks against the lawless elements.

The military, together with elements of the Philippine National Police, launched aerial and ground attacks against the group of MILF leader Waning Abdulsalam in Zamboanga Sibugay on Monday. Two OV-10 bomber planes of the Philippine Air Force conducted air strikes on the MILF`s stronghold in Payao town. The military said that there were no identified areas of temporary stay of MILF rebels in the area. The ATS is a designated area for MILF rebels to use as a temporary stronghold while peace talks between the government and rebel leaders are ongoing.

Mabanta said the main objective of the attacks in Zamboanga Sibugay was to serve arrest warrants to 11 MILF rebels, including Abdulsalam, for their alleged involvement in kidnapping and killings in the area.

Government security forces will also serve warrants of arrest to other MILF rebels in Basilan, particularly MILF leader Dan Asnawi who is believed to be behind the encounter with military forces last October 18 in Al Barka, Basilan, which killed 19 dead soldiers, including six who were reportedly murdered by rebels. Asnawi was also allegedly behind the beheading of seven members of the Philippine Marines in 2007.

Benigno Aquino III, in a press conference on Monday, ordered intensified military operations against lawless elements as part of its “all-out-justice” stand against the MILF. Aquino thumbed down bids to suspend peace negotiations with and launch an all-out-war against the MILF.