Marines control 3 strategic hills in Basilan

Marines have captured and are now in full control of three strategic hills in Basilan following days of ground assault and beachhead operations, a senior military ground commander said yesterday.

Commodore Alex Pama, commander of the Naval Forces in Western Mindanao, however, said the capture of Hills 187, 189 and 330 came with a high price as five soldiers were killed and 25 others, including an Air Force fighter pilot, were wounded.

“We are now in full control of three hills strategically overlooking most of the enemy positions, including those areas now being occupied by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),” Pama said.

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro visited the frontline troops in the area the other day.

Teodoro ordered Pama and Marine ground commanders led by 1st Marine Brigade commander Col. Rustico Guerrero to dig in and not to abandon the three hills.

Teodoro’s directive came in the wake of MILF accusations that its fighters are now exposed to military assaults, as the troops are now well entrenched on the three hills.

Atop the three hills Marines can now monitor the movement of Abu Sayyaf bandits and other lawless elements using a nearby river channel as their entry and exit point from their lair in Barangay Buhilibong in Al Barka town.

The outskirts of Barangay Bulihibong are known lairs of Abu Sayyaf bandits led by Furugi Indama and Nurhasan Jamiri.

This area is close to Barangay Baguindan in Ginanta town where MILF rebels are based, Pama said.

If the MILF does not want to get involved in the fighting, Pama said they should stop reinforcing the Abu Sayyaf.

Instead, Pama said the MILF must turn over these bandits to government security forces.

Pama said the beachhead assault in Barangay Bulihong was never expected by the Abu Sayyaf and MILF renegades.

“We surprised the enemies when we conducted a beachhead assault to capture the two hills the other day. They never saw it coming,” he said.

As this developed, President Arroyo paid a visit yesterday to the five Marines who were killed in the fighting with the Abu Sayyaf and MILF renegades in Al Barka last Sunday.

The fallen soldiers were posthumously accorded full military honors at the Marine headquarters at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. – With Roel Pareño