TV Patrol August21, 2008 : MILF Attacks

Watch the news from TV patrol about the "MILF attacks" in Maguindanao

MORO Islamic Liberation Front rebels occupied a town in Lanao del Norte and attacked three other towns in the province and Iligan City yesterday, prompting the military leadership to order another round of offensives. Some of the civilian fatalities were used by the rebels as human shields while they were withdrawing. "The rebels killed them on their way out. That is the report given to us by the civilians," said Brig. Gen. Hilario Atendido, head of the AFP Task Force Tabak which is in charge of the Lanao provinces. He said most of the civilian casualties were from the Kolambugan and Linamon. He said some of the civilian fatalities were hostages taken by the MILF during the Kolambugan attack. AFP chief Gen. Alexander Yano said the attacks are a "virtual declaration of war" by the MILF and "a clear manifestation of the insincerity to the peace process of a significant portion of the MILF." "This was confirmed by Commander Bravo's declaration of jihad (holy war)," he said referring to the leader of the MILF forces that attacked Iligan City and the four towns. "It appears that several MILF sub-commanders are not controlled by the MILF leadership and are just using the peace process as a blanket to launch violent attacks against the people of Mindanao," he also said. MILF forces under Commander Umbra Kato last month forcibly occupied 15 barangays in North Cotabato. They were flushed out of the areas last week in four days of military offensives. The Maguindanao-based Kato reportedly had 500 to 800 men. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu said the rebels actually pulled out of Kolambugan on the order of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed wing of the MILF. "There is already a pullout upon command, upon orders of the leadership of the BIAF, MILF after several hours of trying to get in touch there (with fighters in Lanao). Apparently, they were reached because the command is for them to pull out from the area. Right now, the area is clear," he said. Kabalu said rebels occupied the town because of frustration over the slow progress of the peace process and because of agitations by some quarters that a peace accord with the MILF would not be fully implemented by the government. You may read the full story in Malaya News Online