More than 200 Army soldiers are now pitched in the boundary of Lumbayanague and Lumbatan, both in Lanao del Sur, and in all indications they will proceed to attack Camp Bushra, one of the 7 major camps of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) acknowledged in February 1999. More troops are coming to reinforce their presence since yesterday, November 24.

This was the report received early today from luwaran reporter embedded with MILF freedom fighters (mujhideen) based in these towns.

One senior commander of the MILF, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to give statement to the press, described the “impending attack” as a growing indication that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is fighting the entire forces of the MILF.

However, since the 2000 all-out war waged by ousted President Joseph Estrada, the MILF has abandoned fixed camping to mobile disposition of troops. Bushra is one those camps abandoned as a military camp and a satellite office of the MILF Peace Panel is built here.

Maulana Bobby Alonto, a member of the MILF Peace Panel, handles the office.
However, vice chairman for military affairs Aleem Abdulaziz Mimbantas sometimes meets his comrades-in-arms and visitors in this office.

The other camp, which has the same category, is Darapanan. It is one of the 7 major camps of the MILF acknowledged as such by the government and MILF in February 1999.

The other 5 of the 7 major camps of the MILF were Abubakar, Badr’, Omar, Rajamuda, and Bilal.

All these camps are abandoned as military structure.

At present, Darapanan, as stated, is no longer a military camp but rather the home to the main offices of the MILF Peace Panel and the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA). The MILF forces stationed here are symbolic and mainly to provide security escorts to visitors, domestic and foreign.

However, 70 percent of those stationed here before the August renewed fighting in Mindanao returned to their respective mother units.