BIFF leader arrested, son killed in Cotabato City
Breaking News • 16:49 PM Wed Feb 10, 2016
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By:
Edwin Fernandez and Ferdinandh Cabrera
BIFF Vice Chair for Internal Affairs Hassan Indal alias Abu Hassan. (Photo by Ferdinandh Cabrera and CIDG)
CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – The military here
announced today the arrest of a high ranking official of the outlawed
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) during a raid in Cotabato City that
left the official’s son dead.
Capt. Joann Petinglay, speaking for the 6th
Infantry Division, identified the arrested BIFF leader as Hassan Indal alias
Abu Hassan, BIFF vice chair for internal affairs and 4th BIFF
division commander. His son, Ali Indal,
who engaged law enforcers in a brief fire fight, was killed.
Colonel Ranie Sevilla, commander of the 5th Army Special
Forces, said Hassan was arrested based on an arrest warrant for various heinous
crimes during a raid in his hideout in Barangay Kalangan Mother, Cotabato City
Tuesday night.
His son resisted arrest and traded shots with lawmen,”
Sevilla said.
Chief Inspector William Santos, officer in charge of CIDG-ARMM, said it took government forces eight minutesto execute the arrest of Indal.Santos said Indal's son grabbed an M-16 Armalite rifle to shoot thearresting officers but lawmen were quick to respond.He also explained that the CIDG had to bring the remains of Ali to a local funeral parlor for finger printing and data processing.Citing intelligence reports, Petinglay said Indal and his son
were hiding at a safe house in outskirts of Cotabato due to intense military
operations against the BIFF in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao since Friday last week.
The raiding team seized an M-16 Armalite rifle, cal. 45
pistol and fragmentation grenade.
Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th ID chief, told
reporters an information provided the law enforcement agencies the vital
information which led to Indal’s arrest.
This is an accomplishment not only of the security forces
but of the entire community because Indal was one of the BIFF leaders who
continually sow terror to civilians by laying improvised bombs in public
places,” Pangilinan said.Abu Misri Mama, BIFF spokesperson, admitted Indal was a ranking leader of the group and is suffering from diabetes. That is why he is in Cotabato City, not hiding but for medication, he said.