6 BIFF men, soldier slain in Maguindanao clashes

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – Six members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and a soldier were killed in encounters in this province on Monday.

The slain soldier was identified only as a certain Pfc. Quitor.

Quitor and other personnel of the 33rd Infantry Battalion were looking for six BIFF men wounded in air strikes on Sunday when the clash occurred, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (ID) said yesterday.

Three bandits with aliases of Bundas, Kamid and Oruk were killed in firefights in Liguasan marsh near a suspected BIFF bomb factory destroyed in the air strikes.

Three other bandits were killed in a gunfight with soldiers when another group of BIFF men led by a certain Metin tried to surround a detachment of the 57th ID in Barangay Meta, Datu Unsay.

Local officials identified the fatalities as Turman Aber, Mansur Mohammad and Kusid Laguiab, alias Mamalu.

Sobejana said three civilians caught in the crossfire were wounded.

The military said 15 militants were killed in air strikes and ground offensive that targeted BIFF bomb makers Taib Dinggo and Abu Walid.

Four of the fatalities are reportedly foreigners. – With Jaime Laude