MILF fighters killed in Lanao del Sur clashes

LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines — Four  suspects were killed, three of them Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas, while eight police officers were wounded in shootouts in Madamba, Lanao del Sur on Thursday.

Abomay Abdulazis, Zainodin Macalantas Ameril and Macabuntal Alican allegedly shot it out with police officers serving warrants of arrest in Barangay Ilian.

A certain Casara Macalantas was also killed in the police operations.

Von Al-Haq, spokesman for the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, said Abdulazis, Ameril and Alican were MILF fighters under Abu Haniff.

Al-Haq confirmed that the clash occurred in an MILF enclave covered by a ceasefire agreement with the government. “We learned that there was no prior coordination,” he told reporters.

Brig. Gen. Graciano Mijares, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police director, said four M16 rifles and a 40-millimeter grenade launcher were recovered from the fatalities.

Col. Madzgani Mukaram, Lanao del Sur police director, said the wounded police officers remain confined in a hospital.

Mukaram said two villagers were also wounded after they were hit by stray bullets.