By William Tucker
Chief Correspondent for In Homeland Security
One week after signing a peace accord with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Kuala Lampur, the Philippine military struck a hold out splinter group in Maguindanao province. According to the military, 37 fighters belonging to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were killed in recent fighting, though one soldier was killed near a mosque in a retaliatory bombing. President Benigno Aquino has stated that the goal of the offensive is to protect villagers in the province and disrupt BIFF activities. Unfortunately, many Filipinos in the province have already fled due to the fighting. The Philippines has endured years of separatist fighting ranging from Islamist separatists to communist guerillas, and BIFF is just the most recent incarnation of local militancy. On the other hand, the peace accord grants MILF, and Muslims in some areas, some political autonomy. This may put pressure on the armed Islamist groups over time as the incentive to fight may begin to diminish. On the other hand, the numerous Philippine islands in the south offer plenty of coverage for guerilla fighters wishing to avoid government forces or other threats to their existence. Either way, Islamist militancy in the South Philippines will persist in the near term.
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