COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 24 June) — The joint police-Army operation in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao del Sur on June 18 that led to the death of seven Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members was legitimate and well-planned, an Army official said Friday.
“I can attest to the fact that the said joint PNP-AFP police operation was a legitimate enforcement of the law that went through deliberate planning,” said MGen Alex S. Rillera, commander of the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division and Joint Task Force Central.
Rillera said that the operation was conducted based on search and arrest warrants issued by the court, and was relayed to the GPH AND MILF Ad Hoc Action Group (AHJAG)
“The GPH Ad Hoc Action Group was formally informed through a letter submitted on June 15, 2023 for the impending law enforcement operation in the municipality due to the presence of armed terrorists, Subsequently, on the same day the GPH AHJAG informed the MILF AHJAG,” he said.
He emphasized that the primary target of the search and arrest warrants were Nasser Yousef Husain also known as “Tutin Usop” and his brother Norjihad Madidis Husain also known as “Datdat Usop”.
He added that during the raid, the five other men who were killed along with the Husain brothers also joined in the gun battle against the operating troops.
They were identified as Nasrullah Mamay Singkala, 38; Ivan Pumpugay, 18; Izrael Laguiab, 41; Morsid Madidis, 50; and Mama Karim, 53.
“The personalities involved in the subject group have been engaged in a wide range of grave offenses, emphasizing the importance of their apprehension in the joint operation,” according to Rillera.
The Army official said the cache of weapons and ammunition seized during the operation proves the existence of illegal arms trafficking and criminal activities in the region.
The operatives recovered one M16A1 5.56mm Elisco Riflle, one M16 Colt, one cal .45 (STI Edge), one cal .45 pistol (Ithaca), one cal .45 pistol (Colt), one 9mm homemade Uzi, and three bandoliers containing magazines and ammunition.
Rillera said a ballistic examination showed that the bullets that critically wounded one of the police operatives came from the seized firearms, which proved that a shootout occurred.
Based on the data of Joint Task Force Central and the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, Nasser Yousef Husain was linked to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters-Bungos faction, ranked 32nd on the AFP Periodic Status Report (PSR), and wanted for attempted murder.
His brother was linked to the Karialan Faction of the BIFF, as well as to various criminal activities, and ranked 78th on AFP PSR.
Both were sons of the late Commander TMX, who was associated with the Tahir Alonto kidnap-for-ransom group and BIFF-Karialan Faction.
They were blamed for the bombing of the NGCP tower on September 3, 2016, in Barangay Kitulaan, Carmen, North Cotabato, and other attacks. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)
