Artillery kills 7 BIFF militants in Maguindanao town

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — Artillery fire against around 80 militants spotted converging in a Maguindanao town left seven of them dead on Monday.

Officials of Sultan sa Barongis town have confirmed the deaths of the seven members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Four of them have been identified only as Amir, Badrudin, Mutalib, and Abdurahman.

The slain BIFF bandits were followers of Imam Bongos.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Army's 6th Infantry Division said Tuesday the bombardment by 105-mm howitzers was carried out when barangay officials reported the presence of BIFF militants in Barangay Kabasalan, Sultan sa Barongis.

"They reported the convergence there of terrorists as if bracing for an attack. The information we received stated that some of them were carrying improvised explosive devices they were to use against non-military targets," Sobejana said.

Imam Bongos, a radical cleric, is the leader of one of three factions in the BIFF, which all operate in the fashion of the Islamic State.

Army units in Sultan sa Barongis and nearby towns could not confirm if Bongos was among the gunmen spotted in Barangay Kabasalan.

Barangay residents said that aside from the seven BIFF fatalities, four other militants were injured in the shelling.

The wounded militants were identified as Usman, Manduh, Guiadzuri and Anwar, who were seen being carried away from the scene after the initial artillery barrage.

Capt. Arvin Encinas, public affairs chief of 6th ID, said soldiers in detachments in Sultan sa Barongis also fired mortars at the fleeing BIFF bandits.