A military officer on Thursday denied reports that the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters have seized Sitio Bentad in Barangay Baliki in Midsayap town in Cotabato province.
In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay, public affairs officer of the Army's 6th division, said an estimated 100 BIFF fighters, led by Commander Abu Nawas, positioned themselves 700 meters away from the barangay outpost and started shooting civilians on Tuesday night.
She said there were no casualties from the firefight, which lasted for around 30 minutes.
According to an earlier report on GMA News TV's "News TV Live" said some 300 BIFF fighters entered Sitio Bentad in Barangay Baliki in Midsayap, and drove away the civilians there. After the attack, they reportedly set up a camp in the area.
But, Petinglay denied this, saying, "Sa ngayon, wala nang BIFF sa lugar, pinabalik na agad ang mga inilikas na residente, pero hindi nga lahat sila umalis."
Petinglay also said they are still determining the parties involved, and how the firefight ensued. Government troops are also on pursuit operations against the rebels.
The BIFF is a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is in peace efforts with the government.
Headed by Ameril Umbra Kato, the BIFF had led attacks in Mindanao in 2008 after the Supreme Court thumbed down a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain.
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