7 die in Army-BIFF skirmishes in Maguindanao
Local News • 01:02 AM Wed Jul 27, 2016
2,062
By:
Ferdinandh Cabrera
Government forces pursuing BIFF guerillas in Maguindanao. (file)
CAMP SIONGCO,
Maguindanao – Six Moro rebels and a soldier were when clashes erupted
early Tuesday between government forces and outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom
Fighters (BIFF) in Datu Shariff Saydona, Maguindanao, the Army here said.
Colonel Lito
Sobejana, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, said four more
members of the 34th Infantry Battalion and 10 BIFF fighters were
also wounded during the skirmishes triggered by dawn harassment Moro rebels.
Killed was PFC
Varek Soria of 34th IB. Wounded were Cpl Ireneo Bahian, Pfc.
Kristian Andrade, Pfc. Melvin Ejada and Pfc. Marlon Gravillo.Sobejana said
intense fighting continued until noon with the military using two MG-520 attack
helicopters to support ground troops in retrieving wounded fighters.
Sobejana said
the BIFF was led by Kagi Karialan, the self-proclaimed leader of the BIFF after
his group ousted Commander Bungos.
Major General
Edmundo R Pangilinan, 6th ID chief, urged Commander Karalian to
voluntarily surrender to the government to avoid further bloodshed.
It would be
best that they surrender so that there will be no more bloodshed,” Pangilinan
said in a statement.
Both Sobejana
and Pangilinan confirmed BIFF fatalities whose remains were retrieved and turned
over to local officials for their relatives to claim.
Sobejana said
sporadic fighting was still going on as of 3 p.m.
Members of the
Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team and the government and MILF
ceasefire committees have proceeded to Sharif Saydona town center to ensure no
mis-encounter will take place between government forces and MILF. (Ferdinandh
Cabrera)