Napeñas: SAF killed 250 attackers
MANILA — Around 250 individuals were killed by the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force during an operation which turned into an armed encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mamasapano, M
In a Senate hearing yesterday, relieved SAF chief Getulio Napeñas stressed that the members of the elite police force who were sent to the mission were highly trained individuals.
"They know what they're doing and know what to do in times of adversity and hostility. Had it been otherwise, the combined force of the MILF and BIFF and other private armed groups would have not suffered at least 250 casualties in the midst of the firefight that took place almost the whole day," Napeñas said.
Napeñas added that the 37man assault force from the 84th Special Action Company were able to shoot at least 150 of their enemies.
Superintendent Raymond Train, one of the SAF survivors, said that he killed at least 25 attackers during the encounter, according to Napeñas.
SAF snipers stationed in the area were able to take down at least 20 of their opponents, Napeñas added.
"Had the artillery support we requested arrived on time, the situation would have been entirely different," Napeñas explained, adding that early reinforcements would have lessened the number of SAF casualties.
Napeñas stressed that the SAF commandos were more than prepared for the operation to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino cohort Basit Usman.
During the latter part of the hearing, the former SAF chief said that Train's team was able to neutralize Marwan and they cut out an index finger of the terrorist that was used in the DNA confirmation by the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation.
"Mission accomplished. This is only the word that the SAF troopers needed to hear, only that it happened with a price the lives of our 44 brave young men," Napeñas said.
The Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs is currently conducting its probe on the Mamasapano incident which led to the death of 44 police commandos.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Human Rights yesterday announced that it has completed its initial investigation into the Mamasapano encounter.
In a statement, CHR Chair Loretta Ann Rosales said that the scoping mission conducted by the team has established facts that " engender belief that violations of human rights and international humanitarian law have been violated during the incident."
However, Rosales said that she could not divulge the information and evidence gathered by the CHR team.