4 soldiers slain in BIFF clashes

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – Four soldiers were killed while five others were hurt in firefights with Moro bandits at the tri-boundary of Maguindanao’s adjoining towns of Mamasapano, Datu Piang and Shariff Saidona that started late Saturday and continued until noon yesterday.

Local officials, among them senior members of the municipal peace and order councils in the three towns, confirmed that three of the slain soldiers belonged to the Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion (IB), while one soldier was executive officer of the 6th Scout Ranger Company.

They were killed in a series of gunfights with members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) led by Mohamad Tambako.

Five other combatants of the 33rd IB were wounded in the firefights.

The firefights reportedly escalated after soldiers killed more than 10 BIFF gunmen under the groups of Tambako and Commander Bongos, who hails from Datu Saudi town, in encounters several hours before.

Soldiers had also killed four BIFF gunmen in another encounter Saturday morning in Barangay Pusao in Mamasapano.

“They have surrounded the BIFF in an area at the boundary of Mamasapano and Datu Piang that’s why they had no choice but to fight. They cannot escape anymore,” a town councilor said.