MILF men kill 7 IS followers fleeing after attack on Army outpost

COTABATO CITY—Moro rebels covered by a peace pact with the government killed at least seven of their erstwhile comrades who have linked up with the terror network Islamic State (IS) and attacked an Army detachment in Mamasapano town, Maguindanao province on Wednesday (Dec. 30).

Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, 6th Infantry Division chief, said at least 30 members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) assaulted the detachment of the 33rd Infantry Battalion at the village of Tuka around 5 a.m. but were repulsed by soldiers with the help of members of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The attack took place in the same town where, in January 2015, at least 44 Special Action Force policemen were massacred by Moro gunmen during a classified operation to capture or kill Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir, or Marwan, who is on the United States’ most wanted list of terror leaders.

BIFF is composed of Moro rebels disgruntled with the peace agreement that MILF signed with the government which did not address the breakaway rebels’ demand for a separate Islamic state in Mindanao. Many BIFF members have since allied themselves with IS.

BIFF gunmen on board light vehicles and motorcycles fled toward the towns of Shariff Saidona Mustapha and Shariff Aguak, also in Maguindanao. They were blocked at the borders by MILF forces led by Samad Simpat which led to a gun battle. When the smoke cleared, seven men believed to be BIFF members lay dead.

“Our friends in the MILF helped foil the plot to overrun Army detachment,” Uy told reporters.

MILF had signed a peace deal that led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and put in place a truce which required MILF members to help fight terrorism in areas where the Moro group operates.

Uy said the seven slain BIFF members were followers of Commander Motorola, reported to be the henchman of Iman Karialan, leader of one of three BIFF factions.

The military said the group was behind the Dec. 3 attack in Datu Piang town of Maguindanao, where a police car was burned.

Government forces remained on alert in Maguindanao for other possible BIFF offensives during the holiday season.

Edited by TSB