The sporadic skirmishes between government forces and alleged members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) turned for the worse with the killing of a young army lieutenant and two of his soldiers in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town in Maguindanao yesterday, July 6.
Two other soldiers, all members of the Alpha Company of the 68th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, were wounded.
Military sources today confirmed that 1Lt. Gerald Flores, a native of Guimaras Provinces in the Visayas and a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy was killed in a fierce encounter with armed men believed to belong to the BIFF in Barangay Ganta, Shariff Saydona Mustapha town.
Two of his men, Pfc. Jessie Pauig and Pfc. Reynante P. Arubio, were also killed in the encounter.
The two soldiers who were wounded were identified as Pfc. Crisanto Lalaguna and Pfc. Roland B. Cardona.
The same military sources said the BIFF suffered heavy casualties during the same encounter but the number of rebels killed and wounded was not ascertained.
“We are preparing for their counter-attack,” said the military source.
Alert level has been raised in the areas surrounding the Libungan-Torreta and Liguasan Marsh where the BIFF forces are expected to launch retaliatory attacks.
The North Cotabato towns located in the periphery of these two marshes are Pigcawayan, Libungan, Midsayap, Aleosan, Pikit, Kabacan, Matalam, M’lang and Tulunan.
Earlier, government troops clashed with BIFF forces in Midsayap and Pikit, North Cotabato and while there were reports of casualties on both sides, these have not been validated.
The BIFF which is under veteran former MILF commander Ameril Umbra Kato, who is acknowledged to be one of its ferocious warriors, has split with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Umbra Kato was earlier quoted as saying that the MILF, which is involved in peace negotiations with the Philippines government, does not represent the Bangsamoro people.
The BIFF is reportedly waging a struggle to establish an “Islamic Emirate” in the Southern Philippines.
There were reports that the MILF has offered its forces to help the Philippine military in confronting the BIFF but this has not been confirmed.
(Photo credit: This Associated Press photo, downloaded from the web, shows BIFF leader Ameril Umbra Kato and armed members of the renegade rebel group.)
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