FIVE Army soldiers were injured as fighting between government troops and combined forces from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and a lawless group broke out in Ungkaya Pukan town in Basilan last Tuesday afternoon.
Brig. Gen. Domingo Gobway, commander of the military’s Joint Task Force Basilan, urged the MILF to stand down to end the fighting, which he said was still raging as of yesterday afternoon.
Last Monday, Gobway said the military received a request from the MILF to allow its forces to go to Barangay Ulitan, where a group of lawless men was said to be hiding.
The lawless elements, Gobway said, were being pursued by the military for the twin bombings in Isabela City, also in Basilan, last May that left two people injured.
Gobway said he instructed Lt. Col. John Ferdinand Lazo, commander of the Army’s 64th Infantry Battalion, to negotiate and tell the MILF members that they are free to go to the barangay, from Barangay Baguindan, if they are not going to carry firearms.
Last Tuesday, Gobway said Lazo went to Barangay Ulitan and was surprised that armed MILF members were already in the area. Gobway said the leader of the MILF also refused to talk to Lazo.
“Tension broke out. Eventually, they (MILF men) sniped the escort of the battalion commander. Fortunately, he was wearing a Kevlar (protective equipment). That’s when the fighting broke out, it’s continuing until now,” said Gobway.
Gobway claimed the MILF members were coddling the lawless elements the soldiers had been pursuing.
Gobway described the fighting between the government troops and the combined forces of MILF and lawless groups as “fierce.”
He said the combined strength of the MILF and the lawless group had increased to about 100 men as of yesterday afternoon due to MILF reinforcements.
“Some of those who reinforced were armed with caliber 60 (machine gun)” said Gobway, adding the enemy forces were attacking two positions of the Army in the area.
“The problem is they are attacking. Actually, the military is on a defensive (stance),” Gobway added.
He said the five soldiers were hit during the fighting last Tuesday.
On the MILF and lawless group side, Gobway said the military cannot ascertain if they suffered casualties. “We can’t get near them, the troops have not seen any body count (on the enemy side),” he said.
Gobway said the military has asked the MILF ceasefire officials to tell MILF commanders on the ground “not to reinforce, stay put, and stop attacking, and, if possible, leave Barangay Ulitan.”
On the possible further escalation of the fighting, Gobway said: “I think it will not as long as the other MILF (members) will not reinforce.”
“We cannot withdraw, we are from the government,” he said. The MILF signed a peace accord with the government in 2014, ending decades of fighting between the two sides.
