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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider WesMinCom insists 7 slain in Maguindanao encounter were BIFF fighters

WesMinCom insists 7 slain in Maguindanao encounter were BIFF fighters

Published Jun 20, 2023 10:05 am
The Western Mindanao Command (WesMinCom) stood by its report that the seven individuals slain in an alleged encounter in Maguindanao del Sur over the weekend were members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

*(Courtesy of Western Mindanao Command)

* A report from the WesMinCom released by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday, June 20, showed that seven suspected members of the BIFF-Karialan Faction died when combined elements of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Central under the AFP WesMinCom and the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) served two search warrants against siblings Nasser Yussef Hussain alias Tutin Usop and Nurjihad Husain alias Datdat Usop for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act. The incident occurred at the house of the two alleged BIFF members in Barangay Damawato, Datu Paglas, Maguindanao del Sur around 2 a.m. last Sunday, June 18. “When they were approaching the subject’s residence, an undetermined number of BIFF members fired upon the government forces, which resulted in the wounding of one police personnel,” said Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, commander of JTF Central. He added that the troops fired back “which resulted in the death of seven BIFF members, including the two subjects of the search warrants.” The operation also resulted in the seizure of six firearms and assorted ammunition including one uzi, two M16 rifles, and three caliber .45 pistols. Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, commander of WesMinCom, commended the troops of JTF Central for the “accomplishment.” “Our troops will continue to work with other law enforcement agencies to quell terrorism and other criminalities. Our collaborative efforts ensure that terrorism and lawlessness have no place in our area of operation,” Galido stated.   The development came as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) reportedly claimed that the fatalities were its own members, and not from their breakaway group BIFF. According to reports, the MILF will file a complaint against the operating troops of the WesMinCom and PNP-CIDG before the Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) for alleged violation of the ceasefire agreement between the MILF and the Philippine government. The CCCH is a coordinating unit composed of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and MILF which seeks to ensure that the pact is being observed.  The MILF signed a peace agreement with the Philippine government in 2014 to pave the way for the creation of a new Muslim entity that will have an autonomous government.  This led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2019. In return, the MILF disarmed its fighters as a step towards their reintegration to mainstream society.

Related Tags

BIFF Western Mindanao Command AFP MILF Maguindanao del Sur
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