Cotabato City”•Military and police forces killed seven alleged members of the Islamic State-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in a clash in Midsayap, North Cotabato, on Wednesday, an official said Thursday.
Meanwhile, in Zamboanga City, nine barangays in two areas of Basilan have declared 16 suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf Group as persona non-grata in their villages, the military said.
Lt. Col. Ivan San Jose, commander of the Army’s 18th Infantry Battalion, said Wednesday the declaration was made through a unified resolution approved by the nine barangays belonging to Lamitan City and Tipo-Tipo town.
Lt. Col. Glenn Cabrera, commander of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion, said the encounter occurred around 5 a.m. in Sitio Narra, Barangay Tumbras, Midsayap, after villagers tipped authorities on the presence of armed men in their community.
“Our troopers, in coordination with the local police, immediately responded to the tip and chanced upon the group at their nipa hideout who put up a fight,” Cabrera said referring to the 40-minute clash.
When the group offered no more resistance, government forces, this time backed by helicopter gunships, scoured Sitio Narra and found the remains of the slain suspects.
Initial military reports identified two of the dead as Mama Macalimbol, long wanted for multiple frustrated murder charges, and a certain Bedis Macarimbang.
“Macalimbol was also North Cotabato’s third most wanted man for his role in roadside bombings and highway robberies,” Cabrera said.
The five other suspects, all male, remained unidentified.
Cabrera said Macalimbol’s group operated under BIFF commander Bungos, the alleged mastermind behind the series of bombings in Central Mindanao in recent months.
Authorities also recovered seven firearms comprising two .30-caliber Garand rifles, two M14 rifles, one improvised Barrett sniper rifle, one FAL automatic rifle, one M16 rifle and homemade explosives.
“The slain suspects seemed to be ready for any eventuality as their nipa hut was surrounded by sandbags,” Cabrera said.
He said military and police probers were still identifying the remaining slain suspects.
The military here has vowed to intensify the offensives and law enforcement operations against the BIFF groups operating in the region.
“There is no let-up in the fight against violent extremism,” said Major Gen. Diosdado Carreon, the commander of the 6th Infantry Division, who directed all military units in Central Mindanao.
The remains of the slain radicals were turned over to officials of Barangay Tumbras for burial.