Sunday, June 29, 2008 MILF rebels attack Army, Cafgu camps in Cotabato By Malu Cadelina Manar Correspondent
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Some 30 suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) launched simultaneous attacks against Cafgu and Army detachments in Midsayap town and nearby Aleosan, both in North Cotabato, Friday night.
Senior Superintendent Lester Camba, North Cotabato provincial director, said the rebels first harassed the 11th Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in Barangay Pagangan-Uno in Aleosan around 10:30 p.m. Friday.
Another group of MILF rebels also attacked an Army detachment in Barangay Ranggaban-Dos in nearby Midsayap, about two kilometers from the town's poblacion.
The exchange of fires lasted for about 15 minutes, according to Camba.
He said the rebels fired assault rifles towards the Army and Cafgu detachments, but no one from the government troops was hit during the attacks.
Army Colonel Julieto Ando, spokesman of the 6th Infantry Division, identified the suspects that led the attacks in North Cotabato towns as those belonging to the 105th Base Command of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) under Commander Umbra Kato.
The attacks on Friday night forced government troops to strike back to defend their positions.
Ando said their troops are still on a defensive stance. "We retaliate once we're attacked," he said.
Camba said the police and the Army's 602nd Brigade in North Cotabato are on a heightened alert since last week after hundreds of MILF rebels were sighted massing troops in towns of Pigcawayan, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Kabacan, and Pikit.
The MILF rebels, he said, attacked two power facilities in the towns of M'land and Matalam on Wednesday night.
They first bombed a steel tower of the National Transmission Corporation (Transco) in Barangay Bagontapay, M'lang, around 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, and two hours later the rebel group fired anti-tank rockets on the biggest sub-station of the Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco) in Matalam town.
Camba has warned commuters and truckers not to ply the Cotabato-Davao highway, especially during nighttime to prevent being hit by crossfire or attacks to be launched by the rebel group.
"We also received information that the rebels are out to set up blocking forces in this highway," said Camba.
