8 dead, 6 hurt in gunfight between police, gunmen in Maguindanao
COTABATO CITY (PNA) – Eight persons died while six others were injured after a firefight erupted Wednesday, June 22, between an armed group and police in Barangay Mileb, Rajah Buayan, Maguindanao.
Police Brig. Gen. Arthur Cabalona, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) police chief, said the clash occurred around 4 a.m. when authorities tried to serve the arrest warrants against wanted persons Turkey Utto Latip and Katindig Mustapha.
Latip was wanted for frustrated murder while Mustapha was facing robbery with homicide charges.
“They resisted arrest and opened fire on approaching lawmen,” Cabalona said. “They forced our troops to return fire.”
The fighting lasted for about an hour, he said.
Latip and Mustapha were among the eight persons found dead at the encounter site. Six other individuals, including a policeman, were wounded in the incident.
Police found nine assorted long firearms and one short firearm, including two .50-caliber Barret sniper rifles, in the area.
“We are determining if these persons are affiliated with our existing threat groups in Maguindanao,” Cabalona said, adding they could be members of a private armed group or the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.