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Saturday, May 8, 2021

BIFF forces swoop down Maguindanao town

COTABATO CITY – Dozens of pro-ISIS gunmen swooped down Saturday on a southern Philippine town, stole food and terrorized civilians for hours before fighting security forces and eventually escaping.

The attackers were all members of the separatist rebel group called Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), but it was unclear how they managed to enter the town of Datu Paglas in the restive province of Maguindanao undetected by security forces. 

Most of the fighters were former members of the larger separatist rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, whose chairman Murad Ebrahim is now the Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao following the signing of the 2014 peace accord with Manila.

The Western Mindanao Command and the 6th Infantry Division, and even Ebrahim and the provincial and municipal governments, including the town’s police forces have not released any press statement.

The siege crippled the highway linking Datu Paglas to other towns and triggered an exodus of civilians for fear of being caught in the battle between militants and soldiers sent to take control of the place.

There were no immediate reports of civilian or military casualties, but photos of houses riddled with bullet holes immediately went viral in social media. The fighting occurred during the last days of the holy month of Ramadan. (Mindanao Examiner)

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