Troops overrun Kato's camp

MANILA, Philippines – Troops backed by artillery overran a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) base in Maguindanao yesterday after heavy fighting.

The attack took place in marshlands of the province, a stronghold of the MILF, late Saturday and lasted into morning yesterday.

The MILF suffered an undetermined number of casualties, reports said.

The camp was one of those run by MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato, who led village raids last month after a peace deal was scrapped by the government.

Kato has a P10-million bounty on his head after leading several deadly attacks throughout northern Mindanao which has displaced more than 500,000 civilians.

In another clash late yesterday, two rebels were killed after they tried to overrun an army base in North Cotabato.

Col. Julieto Ando, regional army spokesman, said about 15 MILF guerrillas armed with assault rifles fired rocket propelled grenades at a military outpost in Sitio Pupoyon near Aleosan just before midnight.

“Two young rebels were killed and many wounded,” Ando told journalists.

“Using night vision goggles, the infantrymen chased the rebels off carrying away their dead and wounded.”

The area was the scene of another bitter clash last month, which left 12 civilians dead.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu denied the military account and said the rebels were “observing the fasting month of Ramadan and were praying.”

“We maintain our active defense stance and obviously it’s the military who fired the first shot,” Kabalu said by phone.

Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Alexander Yano affirmed that it has not waived the use of air strikes and heavy artillery against the leaders and forces of the MILF wanted for the attacks of civilian communities in North Cotabato and Lanao del Norte.

Yano, who was in Zamboanga City yesterday, also announced it will not give amnesty to the three MILF commanders even if peace talks resume.

He said the military needs to use the air strike and artillery against the MILF.

“There is no such thing (halt air strike). The word is minimize in deference to the observance of Ramadan,” Yano said.

He gave ground commanders the prerogative to use air strike or artillery fire “but as much as possible we minimize it because there is Ramadan, we are very sensitive to that religious activity.”

He said the adjustment in the usage of air strike and artillery was a directive even right from the start of the Ramadan to ensure the activity will not be disrupted.

No amnesty

Meanwhile, Yano said the military will not yield to the call for amnesty for MILF commanders Kato, Abdurahman Macapaar alias Commander Bravo, and Ameen Pangalian – just like the late MILF founding chief Hashim Salamat and several other leaders who were also listed in the previous case as wanted for bombings and attacks in 2000.

The government dropped the charges against Salamat and his lieutenants after the peace talks resumed.

“I don’t think so, they have committed several counts of heinous crimes that will stand, and as of now it’s still there. These are very serious crimes against our people, I don’t think that will change,” Yano said on the case of Macapaar, Kato, and Pangalian.

He said the ground forces have remained on target at neutralizing the three leaders who refused to surrender to the government.

However, Yano said they have not set any time frame but thousands of soldiers continued from closing in to capture or neutralize the wanted MILF leaders and their followers.

He also stressed that American soldiers in Mindanao are not participating in combat operations as they are limited to technical assistance.

He said US forces are engaged in supplies maintenance and medical evacuation of casualties and humanitarian missions.

“There is a difference between combat related and combat activities,” he explained.

There were also allegations that US troops were present during an ambush that killed four soldiers and wounded 10 others in Barangay Bonbon, in Patikul, Sulu last Aug. 30.

But the military maintained that the US forces were inside the headquarters of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 11 in the barangay when the Abu Sayyaf ambushed a convoy of marines.

Yano said US military helicopters were only used to ferry the wounded marines to Zamboanga for immediate treatment.

He said the US troops were in the area to turn over several humanitarian projects, such as a school building in Barangay Bonbon and a road project in Patikul. – Roel Pareño, James Mananghaya