3 Moro rebels killed, 2 soldiers hurt in Maguindanao clash

Members of the breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF). INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

COTABATO CITY—Three members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters were killed while two soldiers were wounded in an encounter in a remote village in Shariff Saydona, Maguindanao, Monday morning, the Army said.

Capt. Jay Maniwang, civil-military relations chief of the 601st Brigade, said in a telephone interview that the injured soldiers, who belonged to the 45th Infantry Battalion, were now confined in a government hospital.

Maniwang said the soldiers were on patrol in the village of Nabundas in Shariff Saydona at 6 a.m. when they came under fire.

The soldiers had been sent to Nabundas to check out reports that the BIFF rebels were threatening villagers who refused to provide revolutionary tax.

Maniwang said the soldiers engaged the rebels in a two-hour firefight.

Citing accounts of villagers, Maniwang said the fleeing BIFF took the firearms of their fallen comrades. They were identified by the villagers only as Samsudin, Karim and Abdullah.

Maniwang identified the leader of the rebels as Commander Sanad and a certain Bisaya, both lieutenants of Ameril Ombra Kato, founding chair of the BIFF.

Pursuit operations were continuing, Maniwang said.