Philippine Army attacked Friday prayer

September 13, 2008

Joint forces from various outfits of the Philippine Army attacked forces of the 107th Base Command of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday about 1230pm while performing their Friday congregational prayer inside a Mosque at Daliao, Maasim, Saranggani.

This was not the first such attacks against the MILF during religious rituals by government forces. On February 11, 2003 , the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) attacked the MILF at Buliok Complex during the observance of Eid’l Adha, a global Muslim holiday, while the late MILF Chairman Salamat Hashim was delivering his sermon.

Soldiers of the 66th, 72nd, 73rd Infantry Battalions (IBs) and Scout Rangers of the Philippine Army perpetrated the attacked which instantly resulted to one MILF fatality.

MILF forces were unable to finish their prayer.

Several bullets hit the Mosque. But the commander chided that this sort of attack was not surprising because AFP also attacked the MILF during Eidl Adha celebration in 2003 during the siege of Buliok Center and there were also massacres perpetrated by the government soldiers inside a Mosque during the martial law days.

Firing at the Mosque, a sacred religious symbol of the Muslim, is an attack to all the Muslims the world over. This was an act totally disrespectful of the cultural and religious symbols of the Muslims.

Firefight lasted until 3pm between more or less 30 MILF fighters against more than 500 aggressive armies at the vicinity of Post 3 of Camp Khalid bin Walid of the 107th Base Command.

An MILF fighter told Luwaran that they killed more than 10 government soldiers when they fired their rocket propelled grenade (RPG) and hit government soldiers' positions and concentrations.

Several rounds from 105 howitzers were fired against the MILF. The artillery firing were launched from two naval boat docked at the shore of Daliao in Maasim.