June 12, 2000, The Philippine Star, Troops capture another MILF camp in Maguindanao,

June 12, 2000, The Philippine Star, Troops capture another MILF camp in Maguindanao,

COTABATO CITY - Government forces captured another major camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Maguindanao, while fighting raged in nearby North Cotabato where the rebels took more than 50 residents hostage to use as human shields.

About 1,000 troops, backed by artillery fire and planes, seized Camp Mohamad al Saleh after a day of heavy fighting last Saturday afternoon, said Maj. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Army's 6th Infantry Battalion. The Philippine flag was hoisted at the abandoned camp later in the day.

Ando said Camp Mohamad al Saleh is the fifth MILF enclave to be captured by the military in Maguindanao since a major offensive against the 15,000- strong guerrilla force was launched this year. He said troops discovered about 100 trenches in the heavily fortified camp, as well as bunkers that could accommodate about 300 fighters.

Ando said the military was under instruction to continue its offensive against other MILF-held territories even as peace negotiations were going on. Capt. Noel Detoyato, spokesman for the Army's 6th Infantry Division, said MILF guerrillas retreating from Camp Mohamad al Saleh are heading for Camp Abu Bakar to seek sanctuary.

"The attack against (Camp Mohamad) al Saleh was conducted after we received intelligence reports that it was being used by MILF fighters to conduct harassment attacks against our troops," he told The STAR yesterday.

Detoyato said Camp Mohamad al Saleh is located some 200 kilometers from Camp Abubakar, the MILF's main camp in Maguindanao. In nearby Midsayap town in North Cotabato, MILF guerrillas attacked six adjoining barangays with rockets and machineguns as the soldiers were celebrating their victory.

Ando said the rebels took more than 50 residents hostage for use as human shields when about 500 government troops responded to the attack. The rebels arrived just after dawn, cordoned off the houses and opened fire with rockets and machineguns, forcing hundreds of residents to flee, he added.

Five soldiers were reportedly wounded in the attack, but the Army has not been able to confirm this as of presstime last night. Ando said the Army operations center here has still to gather information on the circumstances that led to the attack on the six barangays in the predominantly Christian town. "The attacks were perpetrated while our men hoisted the Philippine flag in two separate MILF strongholds in Duluan and Parang (both) in Maguindanao," he said. Ando said troops from the Army's 301st and 803rd brigades destroyed more than 200 overhead bunkers and foxholes in the 800- hectare Camp Muhammad al Fatah and a secret defense complex in Barangay Marang in Parang town.

Col. Vivencio Bataga, operations officer of the Army's 603rd Brigade, said the rebels occupying Barangay Parang had scampered in different directions after troops had surrounded their positions. "There was no fight whatsoever because they chose to abandon their camp than figure in an encounter with our men," he said. "They could have sensed that we were superior in strength and firepower."

Ando said the bunkers and foxholes in Barangay Marang were dug between coconut and coffee trees and that government troops met stiff resistance when they broke through the camp's defense perimeter. "We had to use cannons, mortars and OV-10 planes to weaken them physically and drive them away from the scene," he said.

Ando said two soldiers were wounded in the fighting, while local officials said the rebels suffered 19 dead, including two foreign-trained commanders. In Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, three people were killed and one was wounded while clashes continued between government troops and Moro rebels.

About 800 residents of four barangays fled their homes when troops from the Army's 68th Infantry Battalion, supported by helicopter gunships, moved in to flush out about 400 MILF guerrillas holed up in the town since Wednesday. Capt. Sam Deles, spokesman for the Army's 601st Infantry Brigade, said the bullet-riddled body of Carlito Casbuena, former chairman of Barangay Sinangkaan, and the mutilated bodies of two still unidentified Muslim women were found in the barangay after the fighting last Friday. At least six MILF fighters were killed and two militiamen were wounded during Wednesday's fighting between government troops and MILF rebels in Barangay Sinangkaan. The militiamen were able to repulse the attack but the rebels returned and assembled in the outskirts of the barangay the next day and attacked again.

Led by a certain Commander Tigre Jakiri, guerrillas also blocked roads going to Barangays Minah, Sinagkaan, Domoldol, and Tibuhol. Residents of these barangays have fled and sought refuge in Barangay Milbuk, Maitum town in Sarangani, and in General Santos City. Deles said the MILF in alliance with lawless elements have looted the deserted barangays, and that residents told a radio station that they have seen rebels carting away sacks of rice and cattle. -- AP, AFP, John Unson, Allen Estabillo, Mike Frialde