7 MILF men killed in Cotabato firefight

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Seven members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were killed in an encounter with a group of armed men who attacked an MILF camp in Matalam, Cotabato on Monday.

Police identified the fatalities as Marudin, Nasrudin and Sammy, all surnamed Baraguir; Nasrudin and Mohaimen, both surnamed Amelil; Mastura Kusain, and their leader Salindato Langalen.

Reports said Langalen and his followers were resting at the camp in Barangay Estado when they were attacked by the assailants, who were armed with assault rifles and grenade launchers.

Langalen and his followers retaliated, triggering a firefight that resulted in their death.

Some of Langalen’s men reportedly fled after seeing him dead.

The military and the MILF have yet to identify the assailants, who took the firearms and belongings of Langalen and his followers before fleeing.

“We dispatched a peacekeeping team from our 40th Infantry Battalion to secure the troubled area,” Brig. Gen. Ricky Bunayog, chief of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade (IB), said.

Local officials said that Langalen’s camp and an armed group have reportedly been squabbling over the control of a piece of property located at the boundary of Estado and Malinan villages.

Maj. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara, chief of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said that a team from the 602IB along with troopers from the 40th Infantry Battalion would help the municipal government of Matalam prevent any escalation of hostilities among relatives and colleagues of the slain MILF men, and the assailants.

Local officials said the attack forced more than 30 families in Barangay Estado to flee to safer areas.

Villages have reportedly expressed fear that the hostilities may erupt again.