5 moro insurgents dead after clash with Army in Cotabato

From the Manila Bulletin (Aug 10): 5 moro insurgents dead after clash with Army in Cotabato

Five members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed while three others were wounded following fierce fighting between government forces and rogue Moro insurgents in North Cotabato.

Maj. Gen. Romeo Gapuz, commander of the 6th Infantry Division (6ID), said among the wounded were two soldiers and one BIFF member.

As of late Saturday afternoon, Gapuz said: "We are replenishing and we are reinforcing our troops".

Col. Dickson Hermoso, the 6ID spokesman said the fighting broke out around 9:30 a.m. Saturday at Barangay Tubak in Aleosan and Barangay Pagangan in Pikit, North Cotabato.

But Hermoso said prior to the clash, the brigand group burned a house in Barangay Baliki in Midsayap town.

"May sinunog na bahay itong mga armadong grupong ito, and then kinuha nila yung mga farm animals ng mga residente, mga civlian Muslims," said Hermoso.

The residents then reported the incident to the military, which immediately conducted law enforcement operation against the armed group.

In the course of the pursuit operation, the soldiers figured in a clash with the BIFF bandits, who then splintered into small groups to evade government forces.

Hermoso said the armed men who figured in fierce fighting with government troops on Saturday in Pikit and Aleosan were the same group of bandits who committed atrocities in Midsayap last Friday.

Sporadic fighting was still on-going as of late Saturday afternoon.

Gapuz, when asked if they expect the fighting to continue during the night, said: "We will refresh and we will encounter them again . . . we are now on relentless pursuit."

He also assured the civilian communities in Maguindanao and in Cotabato that the Army is doing its best to contain the threats that brought by the BIFF.

On the number of fatalities from the enemy side, Gapuz said this is based on information from the ground.

Earlier, Lt. Col. Demy Zagala, the Armed Forces of the Philippines - public affairs office (AFP-PAO) chief also said that an explosion from a 40mm grenade launcher wounded two civilians along the national highway in Kabacan, North Cotabato around 7:00 p.m. Friday.

The military immediately sent its Explosion and Ordinance Division (EOD) Team to support the Kabacan Police in conducting post-blast investigation while the wounded civilians were taken to Kabacan Medical Specialist clinic.

In the wake of the spate of violent incidents in Mindanao, Zagala  said: "The entire intelligence community, including the AFP and the PNP, is on its toes to thwart further possible attacks against and pursue perpetrators in recent bombings in Mindanao."

"Although our security forces are focused on its intelligence and security operations, we call on every citizen to be alert and vigilant," he further stated,

Zagala went on to say, "preventing terror attacks is a shared responsibility and we encourage the civilian community to be perceptive of their surroundings and maintain immediate and constant communication with government authorities."

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