Islamic insurgents captured a military base used by pro-government militias in a raid on Wednesday in North Cotabato province in southern Philippine, according to a rebel spokesman. The raid came after the military claimed victory over the insurgents fighting for an independent Muslim state.
Abu Misry Mama, a spokesman for the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement (BIFM), said, “We overran the military base used by the government militias in the town. The militias fled during the raid."
Mama saidthey would continue to fight the military that he claimed was behind a recent roadside bombing that nearly hit a convoy of army and media vehicles in the southern province of Maguindanao where security forces are battling the BIFM and its armed wing Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) blamed by the government as behind a series of attacks in the region.
Mama said the bombing was done by the military as part of its propaganda campaign to justify the government offensive in Mindanao and to draw support for the peace talks between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He said, “The BIFF has nothing to do with the roadside bombing. It is the military which was behind the bombing and then blame us for the attack." |