Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. on Tuesday said the military has “neutralized” about fifty percent of the forces of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
In an interview with reporters, Catapang said the rest of the members of the armed group splintered into small groups to evade the pursuing soldiers.
On Monday, the military terminated its “all-out offensive” against the group.
The military offensive has killed 139 BIFF men and wounded 53, while twelve were captured.
Catapang said the military is open to talking peace with the BIFF.
“Hopefully they can also join us, we are willing to talk to them, if they want to, if they want peace, peace talks we can do that for as long as if they will not anymore harm or disturb the peace in these areas,” he said.
Catapang ordered the offensive on Feb. 25, exactly a month after the deadly Jan. 25 Mamasapano incident in Maguindanao, which claimed the lives of 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force troopers.
The SAF commandos were then on a mission to arrest terrorists Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir also known as Marwan, Filipino bomb maker and Abu Sayyaf member Basit Usman, and Malaysian bomb maker Amin Baco alias Jihad.
The elite police force figured in an hours-long gunfight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, its splinter group, the BIFF, and private armed groups. — ELR, GMA News
