A Philippine army unit captured another Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Movement satellite camp in Maguindanao Tuesday afternoon. 

 

The capture was preceded by an artillery bombardment that supposedly left at least 15 rebels dead, said Army 1st Mechanized Brigade commander Col. Mayoralgo dela Cruz on Wednesday.

 

The satellite camp was on Hill 166 in Maig village in Datu Unsay town.

 

“It was abandoned. It had bunkers. We found spent shells and dud ammunition. There was no enemy resistance,” said dela Cruz of the camp which he said is within the BIFM’s headquarters called Camp Omar.

 

The military has been pursuing the BIFM fighters since Aug. 5 when they attacked 10 military installations in the province, including the headquarters of the 1st Mechanized Brigade. Four soldiers died in the fighting.

 

“We shelled their position so they left Hill 166. It was directly hit….After the shelling, (ground troops) conducted operations, moved forward,” said dela Cruz.

 

“Based on the estimate of my observer (or spotter), 15 died and 20 were wounded (on the enemy side),” the official added. However, he said the ground troops did not recover any enemy body because they were taken by their comrades and buried immediately.

 

Dela Cruz said they are going to continue with the hot pursuit operations against the BIFM rebels until they are “decimated” and “until justice have been served.”

 

The official said that, based on their estimates, the rebels have suffered at least 50 fatalities since the fighting began last Aug. 5. “[That] does not include the wounded,” said dela Cruz.

 

The lair is the third satellite camp of the BIFM seized by government troops. Last Tuesday and last Monday, two satellite camps were seized by the Army’s 601st Brigade said 6th Infantry Division, commanded Maj. Gen. Rey Ardo.

 

“These (satellite camps) are their staging ground for their attacks at the [Tacurong-Cotabato] highway,” said Ardo.

 

He added that these camps also served as training ground for new fighters. — DVM, GMA News