TWO alleged members of the terrorist group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were killed after a clash with government troops in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao, the military reported yesterday.
The incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. last Saturday in Barangay Kuloy, where troops from the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion (IB) set up a checkpoint.
Before the encounter, 33rd IB commander Lt. Col. Benjamen Cadiente said the two suspects, aboard a tricycle, stopped near the checkpoint.
Cadiente said soldiers went to check the tricycle but were fired upon, prompting them to return fire. He said the soldiers and the suspects traded fire for about seven minutes.
The suspects were injured and were brought to the Integrated Provincial Health Office-Maguindanao but were declared dead on arrival.
One of the suspects was identified as Omar Indong while the other remained unidentified.
They are said to be members of the group of Commander Kamir Kambal, alias Mhedz, and Commander Abdulkarin Lumbatan, alias Boy Jacket, both of the BIFF-Karialan faction.
Six BIFF members have been killed in military operations in Central Mindanao while 175 others have surrendered to authorities since last January.
