Battle of Camp Abubakar

Battle of Camp Abubakar
Part of the Moro conflict and the 2000 Philippine campaign against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front

Positions of three Philippine Army brigades and two Philippine Marine Corps brigades in relation to Camp Abubakar's central complex during the sixth day of the battle.
DateJuly 9, 2000
Location7°32′36″N 124°18′40″E / 7.5434°N 124.3111°E / 7.5434; 124.3111
Result Decisive Philippine government victory
Belligerents
 Philippines Moro Islamic Liberation Front
Commanders and leaders
Joseph Estrada
Diomedio Villanueva
Benjamin Defensor
Elonor Padre
Salamat Hashim
Murad Ebrahim
Units involved

Armed Forces of the Philippines

Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF)
Casualties and losses
12 killed[1] 23 killed[1]


The Battle of Camp Abubakar, codenamed Operation Terminal Velocity,[1] was the final phase of the 2000 Philippine campaign against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which resulted in the capture of Camp Abubakar al Siddique, stronghold of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its largest settlement, and seat of its Shariah-based government.[2]

Prior to April 2000, the MILF had been allowed to operate approximately 50 camps that were off limits to government soldiers. When the MILF broke off peace talks, the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Army in particular, began attacking and destroying the bases one after the other.[3]

Camp Abubakar covered approximately forty square miles and included a mosque, a madrasah, commercial and residential areas, a weapons factory, a solar energy system, and segments of seven different villages.[4]

  1. ^ a b c Armed Forces of the Philippines, Office of Strategic and Special Studies (2008). In Assertion of Sovereignty Volume 1. Armed Forces of the Philippines. ISBN 978-971-94342-0-7.
  2. ^ Bagaoisan, Andrew Jonathan (July 9, 2015). "Throwback: The fall of Camp Abubakar". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  3. ^ Lamb, David (July 6, 2000). "Philippine Army Commanders Say Big Rebel Camp Is Almost Theirs". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  4. ^ Stanford University. "Mapping Militant Organizations: Moro Islamic Liberation Front". Retrieved September 9, 2016.