Two terrorists killed in Mindanao clash with Army
They were members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.
MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE: Two alleged members of a Filipino terror group were killed in firefight with the Philippine Army in the southern province of Maguindanao del Norte early Saturday, a military official said.
The alleged members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed during “decisive” military operations by troops of the 1st Brigade Combat Team (1BCT) in Kitango village, Datu Saudi Ampatuan district, at about 5am, said 1BCT commander Brigadier General Jose Vladimir Caraga in a statement.
He said the armed group fled after they were overwhelmed by military forces who later recovered the two terrorists’ bodies whose identities are still being ascertained.
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Later, the army troops conducted a clearing operation at the scene of the encounter and recovered an M16 rifle and ammunition, a cal. 50 homemade Barrett and two PVC pipe bombs.
Currently, the military continues to hunt for about 20 BIFF members from the Karialan faction, said Caraga.
The Karialan faction, unlike other factions, is not aligned with the Islamic State terror group.
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Major General Alex S Rillera, the commander of the 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central, praised the government troops for the successful military operations.
“We continue to call on BIFF members to return to the government because we will not hesitate to pulverise you if you continue to fight against our government. The guns and explosives that we recovered are only an indication of their evil plans that were thwarted by our soldiers,” said Rillera.
The commander also asserted that no matter where the enemies hide, military troops will be able to destroy them because of the army's modern warfare technology.
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