BIFF hit men kill 2 soldiers in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY -Two soldiers assigned to secure a government hospital in Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao were gunned down Wednesday night.Dr. Tahir Sulaik, Maguindanao Integrated Provincial Health chief said at around 9 p.m. unidentified men came and acted as a patient’s visitors.Once inside the hospital, the suspects went to the emergency room. One of them pointed a gun on one of the soldiers and demanded both to hand over their M-16 Armalite rifles.Then the other suspect used the Armalite rifle in killing the victims and fled. We vehemently condemn the attack inside the hospital, we are open to all who seek our assistance but I was very sad they did it there,” Sulaik said.Colonel Dickson Hermoso, 6th Infantry Division, condemned the attack since it happened inside the hospital and vowed to provide justice to slain soldiers.He did not identify the slain soldiers until their next of kin will be fully informed but said they belonged to 45th Infantry Battalion.Sulaik is still thankful no one from the hospital staff and patients were hurt during the attack.Authorities suspects Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) liquidation squad was behind the killing and firearms grabbing.Reliable sources said it could be a retaliation on the arrest of a ranking BIFF leader named Abi Salman alias Sauman Usman.Salman is believed to be a nephew of suspected Jemaaha Islamiya bomber Basit Usman.Earlier this month, two soldiers were alsoshot dead outside a catholic church in Datu Piang, Maguindanao after a thanksgiving prayer and candle offering on one of the victim who was celebrating his birthday.The incident was followed by another killing of another Maguindanaon soldier from 33rdInfantry Battalion in a busy market of Datu Saudi Ampatuan.During the Provincial Peace and Order meeting last month, security officials described the creation of liquidation team of BIFF as a desperate move to get back at the Army who inflicted casualties in previous military operations in Maguindanao.