M’LANG, North Cotabato — When soldiers and police officers saw three men on a motorcycle approaching a checkpoint along the highway in Barangay Sangat here early Wednesday, they thought they were just ordinary farmers heading to their farms.
“When [they were] flagged down by our troops for routine inspection, the men did not stop but sped away,” said Col. Alfredo Rosario, Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade commander.
The checkpoint was set up along the highway following bombing attempts here on Sunday and Monday.
Government forces pursued the three men who headed toward the town center of M’lang.
Rosario said the three men fired at government troops, triggering a running gun battle.
Voters’ ID
When the smoke cleared, two men were dead.
One was holding a .45-caliber pistol while the other had a bag containing an improvised bomb.
The motorcycle driver escaped.
Police identified the slain men as Patrick Ali Saligan, 30, of Buluan town, and Nholds Saibo Ali, 29, of Datu Paglas town, both in Maguindanao province, based on their voter’s identification cards recovered by policemen.
Bomb experts set off the improvised explosive device (IED), which was made from a 60-mm mortar using a mobile phone as triggering device and nails and several empty bullet shells as shrapnel.
BIFF behind plot
Police and military officials said the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) could be behind the recent bombing attempts in this town.
They said the slain men, suspected to be BIFF members, were on a bombing mission in the province.
“All three IEDs recovered by authorities have the signature of BIFF,” said an Army officer, who asked not to be named for lack of authority to speak to reporters.
BIFF, an armed group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, operates mainly in Maguindanao.
But Abu Misry Mama, speaking for BIFF, said his group was not involved in the foiled bombing in M’lang.
“I don’t know of the other faction of BIFF,” he said, referring to the group led by Kagi Karialan and Commander Bungos.
Wednesday’s incident was the third bombing attempt in M’lang since Sunday, said Supt. Bernard Tayong, spokesperson for the North Cotabato police.
Security concern
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, 6th Infantry Division commander, sought the help of residents in securing Central Mindanao.
“We are asking the people to be always vigilant and immediately report to authorities any suspicious items or persons to secure the entire Central Mindanao,” Sobejana said.—EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ