6 BIFF men who pledged selves to ISIS nabbed in Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY — Government forces on Wednesday captured six Moro militants who earlier pledged allegiance to ISIS, following a brief encounter in a remote village in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, commander of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, said the encounter occurred while he and his men were proceeding to Barangay Mangadeg, Datu Paglas at dawn to check on the presence of heavily armed Islamic militants.

Following a brief firefight, the gunmen voluntarily surrendered to government soldiers. There was no casualty on either side.

Cabunoc said that  after tactical interrogation, the gunmen — identified as Bastun Baguil, Mulawan Lagala, Agila Yusoph, Muslimin Lumenda, Macalam Salabah, and Delamex Lumnah — were turned over to the local police.

They admitted to Cabunoc that they belonged to the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and that they had pledged allegiance to the ISIS flag.

Cabunoc added that local officials helped the Army locate the suspects, part of a bigger BIFF group that  has been operating in the marshland of Maguindanao and believed to be behind the series of attacks in the towns in North Cotabato near the wetlands.

Seized from them were two .50-caliber Barret sniper rifles, an M-60 machine gun, a B-40 anti-tank rocket launcher, an M14 rifle and an M16 rifle.

Cabunoc said the operation against the BIFF was coordinated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) through the ceasefire panel.

Both the Philippine government and the MILF are implementing a ceasefire mechanism binding both sides to cooperate in neutralizing lawless elements and terrorists.

Last week, the 33rd IB also arrested five gunmen who were involved in illegal drug activities and gun-making for the BIFF in a law enforcement operation in which Datu Paglas officials actively participated.  SFM