Crisis committee turns over mosque previously held by rebels

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The local crisis management committee (CMC) have turned over Thursday the besieged grand mosque in Barangay Sta. Barbara that was formerly occupied by the rebels and snipers of the Misuari-faction Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) during the 22-day standoff last month.

The mosque and its madrasa were turned over by Police Director Carmelo Valmoria, commander of the Special Action force (SAF) and Task Force Suyud (clearing) to Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar and the mosque administrator led by Ustadz Jakaria Mohammad, member of the board of Darul Ifta. 

Valmoria said they have already cleared the mosque and its immediate surroundings of the possible presence of unexploded ordnance and improvised bombs after it was occupied by the MNLF rebels and its snipers during the first day of the siege and at the height of the fierce gunbattle.

Salazar said the turn over of the mosque was in time for the start of the Eid'l al Adha on Oct. 15. The location of the mosque was barely more than a hundred meters away from the Fort Pilar Shrine that opened earlier. The Catholic faith will also observe the Feast of the Pilar on Oct. 12.

The mosque suffered the brunt of the combat when the MNLF snipers turned its tower as their observing post, blocking government forces from penetrating the sieged villages of Sta. Barbara and Sta. Catalina. 

It took the government forces about a week before they took down the MNLF snipers and rebels from occupying the mosque since Sept. 9 

Government forces’ snipers positioned some 300 meters from one of the high-rise establishments south from the mosque pelted three of the MNLF female snipers. 

“We are happy that the government forces immediately recovered the mosque from the rebels’ occupation,” said Ustadz Raffy Ammad, the mosque acting imam (preacher).

Ammad said they can now resume the Friday prayer with security coordination.

He said when they entered the mosque for the first time after it was taken over, the things were in total disarray and 17 MNLF bodies were recovered inside last Sept. 15.

Ammad said another five killed MNLF were also brought in the mosque.

“Sa totoo lang malaking hinanakit naman sa mga MNLF na umatake dito at ginamit pa nila ang mosque. Naabo ang aming mga bahay,” Ammad said. 

“Akala nila (MNLF) magandang posisyon ang mosque na ito dahil puro semento, pero nataboy kaagad sila ng puwersa ng gobierno,” he added.

Ammad said, except for the bullet poke marks on the tower, burned Arabic books and Islamic reading materials and shattered glass windows, the mosque remains in good condition.