44 BIFF men killed in Maguindanao

From Malaya Business Insight (Mar 12): 44 BIFF men killed in Maguindanao

AT least 44 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have been killed and scores others were in skirmishes with government forces in Maguindanao on Thursday and Friday last week, a military official said yesterday.

Latest military estimates show the BIFF has around 300 members. The military classifies the group as a terrorist organization, along with the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups. The BIFF pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria a few years ago.

Lt. Col. Gerry Besana, civil military operations officer of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said no enemy body has been recovered by the military as Muslims bury their dead 24 hours after death but the deaths have been validated by the intelligence community, “relatives of the dead, and our assets.”

Besana said the fighting broke out in Barangay Lower Salbu in Datu Saudi Ampatuan on Thursday morning, initially between the Army’s 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion and about 50 BIFF members. The fighting spread to the nearby Barangay Kitango, also in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town, and Barangay Malangog in Datu Unsay, and the enemy strength later swelled to about a hundred men.

The Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion reinforced the engaged troops, with artillery and military aircraft pounding enemy positions.

Besana said the sporadic clashes ended on Friday but soldiers were still conducting pursuit operations as of yesterday.

Besana said 44 deaths have been validated but only 34 of the fatalities have been identified. He also said three of the reported 26 injured BIFF members have been identified.

“Seventy were killed and injured (in the latest fighting). We are still pursuing about 200 more,” he said.

The military intensified operations against the BIFF, mainly composed of former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, in August last year. The operations are done in collaboration with the MILF which signed a peace accord with the government in 2014.

Besana said the fighting has displaced about 500 families, based on the count of local government officials. He said the military is helping attend to the needs of the displaced population.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/44-biff-men-killed-maguindanao