Moro Fighters Set up Task Force to Counter Daesh

MILF seeks to combat 'Daesh recruitment' — MILF seeks to combat ‘Daesh recruitment’

Manila, 19 Rabiul Akhir 1437/29 January 2016 (MINA) – A senior leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) disclosed here Thursday they have set up a task force to counter the reported activities of supporters to recruit especially the youth in restive Mindanao to join the Daesh extremists.

Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF chief negotiator, said the task force was composed mainly of preachers to counter the “distortion of the teaching” of groups or individuals claiming to be Daesh recruiters in Mindanao.

Iqbal confirmed the recruiters were active particularly in the provinces of Cotabato as well as Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, the Gulf Today reported, as quoted by the Islamic Mi’raj News Agency (MINA).

“The recruitment activities as well as the video of the training that came out were authentic,” said Iqbal as he insisted
that the formal organisation setting up a Daesh unit in Mindanao was still subject to validation.

However, the military has repeatedly denied that such Daesh recruitment activities have occurred in Mindanao and blamed instead groups riding on the popularity of the extremists to pursue their “criminal intentions” like extortion.

Iqbal, meanwhile, admitted that many Mindanaoans especially the youth and even professionals have become “frustrated” over the failure of Congress to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that arose from the signing of an historic agreement signed by the government and the MILF.

Under the BBL, a new Bangsamoro political entity would be set up.

The initial core territory of the new entity is to come from ARMM composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi as well as Marawi City. (T/R07/ R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)