Six Moro bandits and a soldier were killed while 14 others,
10 of whom were bandits and four soldiers, were injured when the military and
the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters clashed anew in Maguindanao.
Colonel Lito Sobejana, commander of the military's 601st
Infantry Brigade, said the fighting broke out before dawn Tuesday when about
100 BIFF guerillas armed with cal. 50 sniper rifle and rocket propelled
grenades attacked the base of 34th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Pamalian,
Shariff Saydona, Maguindanao.
"The fighting was very intense but our troops held
their ground and drove away the guerillas," Sobejana told reporters.
Sobejana withheld the name of lone Army fatality until his
next of kin are fully informed. Wounded were Corporal Ireneo Bahian, Private
First Class (Pfc) Kristian Andrade, Pfc. Melvin Ejada and Pfc. Marlon Gravillo.
According to Sobejana, the BIFF attackers were led by Kagi
Karialan, the new leader of the outlawed group, after it ousted Commander
Bungos.
He said fighting was still raging as of 3:00 p.m.
The 6th Infantry Division had to use two MG-520 attack
helicopters to provide cover to grounds troops in retrieving the fatality and
injured infantrymen.
Major General Edmundo R Pangilinan, 6th ID chief, urged
Commander Karalian to voluntarily surrender to the government to avoid further
bloodshed.
“It would be best that they surrender so that there will be
no more bloodshed,” Pangilinan said in a statement.
Both Sobejana and Pangilinan confirmed BIFF fatalities whose
remains were retrieved and turned over to local officials for their relatives
to claim.
Members of the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team
and the government and MILF ceasefire committees have proceeded to Sharif Saydona
town center to ensure no mis-encounter will take place between government
forces and MILF.
Several families have started to flee to nearby villages
afraid they might be caught in the cross fire.
Sobejana said the national highway linking Isulan, Sultan
Kudarat and Cotabato
City
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=907571
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