Men inspect the site of a bomb explosion in Datu Piang, Maguindanao that wounded a pregnant woman and an eight-year old child. (photo by Dan Almoro)
An improvised explosive device went off in Maguindanao province, wounding an eight-year old child and a pregnant woman Tuesday afternoon as the military claimed to have killed 19 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and losing one government soldier since clashes with the Moro rebel faction broke out over the weekend.
The IED exploded at the terminal of the public market in Datu Piang town, Zainudin Malang, executive director of the Mndanao Human Rights Action Center said.
Meanwhile, more civilians have fled their homes since government forces mounted an offensive against the BIFF Monday morning, bringing the number of refugees to more than 10,000.
Major Dante Gania, public affairs office chief of the 6th Infantry Division, said two soldiers of the 45th Infantry Battalion had been wounded in the hostilities. It is not clear whether the lone government fatality is one of them.
Earlier reports said government troops had overrun a BIFF encampment on the border of Datu Piang and Pikit town in North Cotabato.
The military calls its offensive a “law enforcement operation” in support of the police, who are out to serve warrants of arrest against BIFF members charged for their involvement in attacks on communities in North Cotabato last year.
The offensive was launched after suspected BIFF fighters detonated explosives and harassed government positions since Friday.
Surgical strikes were conducted in Shariff Saydona, Datu Piang, and Sultan sa Barongis in Maguindanao and Pikit in North Cotabato, where concentrations of BIFF fighters were spotted.
The fighting has driven more than 9,000 civilians from their home and the Humanitarian Emergency Assistance and Response Team of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said some civilians have been wounded in the crossfire, although no figures have been given.
But the military says the hostilities have nothing to do with the recent signing of the Annex of Normalization of the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
The BIFF broke away from the MILF around two years ago after its founder, Ameril Umbra Kato, disapproved of the direction peace talks with government were heading.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/79585/2-hurt-in-maguindanao-blast-as-military-biff-clashes-kill-20
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