3,000 flee as MILF attacks Army detachments

 
COTABATO CITY—Some 3,000 people were forced to flee to safer ground when some 200 rebels of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Tuesday night attacked three detachments of the Philippine Army’s 37th Infantry Battalion in Datu Piang, Maguindanao.

In another attack, 30 MILF guerrillas, led by Commanders Dogie Akmad and Taunting, ambushed militiamen patrolling the backwater village of Liliongan in Carmen, North Cotabato, killing two soldiers and wounding three others, reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo said.

Despite the attacks, the government said peace talks with the rebels would still go on.

In Cotabato, Col. Agustin Dimaala, commander of the Army’s 302nd Infantry Brigade, said about 200 rebels harassed the adjoining detachments of the 37th Infantry Battalion at Barangay Crossing Salbu, Barangay Iginagampong and Barangay Bagan shortly after 5 p.m. Tuesday. The firefight lasted until around 1:30 a.m., Wednesday, he said.

Before the attack, the Army received reports that the rebels had told residents in the five barangays to leave, Dimaala said. The residents are housed in evacuation centers at the poblacion of Datu Piang and in the neighboring town of Talayan.

“Because of the information, our troops were able to prepare and fortify their positions. We also closed the national highway to vehicular traffic shortly before the fighting erupted,” Dimaala said.

No one was hurt on the government side, but the rebels suffered some casualties, judging by the trails of blood along their escape routes, Dimaala said. In the course of clearing the area, government troops recovered an assortment of ammunition and explosives, he added.

MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu confirmed the attack on Datu Piang, saying it was part of the MILF’s strategy to reduce the pressure on its forces in SK Pendatun and Datu Paglas towns.

“We took advantage of the absence of the OV-10 planes and helicopter gunships during the night and launched the offensive,” Kabalu said.

Reports said some 100 MILF rebels were holed up along the boundary of SK Pendatun and Datu Paglas after being driven out of the Buliok Complex in Pikit, Cotabato, as a result of the massive offensive by government forces.

In Liliongan a platoon from the Kilabao Detachment of the 33rd Cafgu Active Auxiliary under Pfc. Saheil Bassar was sent to reinforce the militiamen. The firefight lasted almost five hours before the rebels withdrew.

Killed in action was Gilbert Ampalid. His body was taken to the Carmen funeral home.
-- Aniceto V. Rasalan, Karl B. Kaufman and Ma. Theresa Torres