BIFF member dead, companion nabbed in Carmen

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines  --- Security forces on Monday shot dead a suspected member of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and arrested another following the bandits' bungled attempt to bomb a checkpoint in Carmen town in the province.

Investigators identified the slain bandit as Tangtang Tahir, 30, who died on the spot from gunshot wounds sustained in a shootout with soldiers and policemen manning the checkpoint.

Tahir and his cashiered cohort, Nano Ampit, were riding a motorcycle together when soldiers and policemen, guarding a strategic stretch of a road  in Barangay Gen. Luna in Carmen, stopped them for a routine check.

Tahir, however, pulled out from his pocket a fragmentation grenade, which he hurled at the approaching checkpoint guards.

The built-in blasting contraption of the grenade failed to explode, providing the soldiers and policemen the chance to open fire at the duo, both armed with handguns.

Ampit voluntarily turned himself in after he saw the bloodied Tahir, who was hit in different parts of his body, fell and died from gunshot wounds.

Ampit is now being interrogated by investigators of the Carmen municipal police.

Local officials said Tahir and Ampit were wanted for their extortion activities in the municipality.