Two soldiers were wounded in an encounter with members of the splinter group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao Monday morning, the military said.
According to Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay, public affairs officer of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, the incident took place at around 8:00 a.m. in Brgy. Nabundas in the town of Shariff Saydona Mustapha.
Petinglay said troops from the Army’s 45th Infantry Battalion were verifying reports of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted in the area when BIFF men fired at them.
He added that the BIFF members, which were around 30 in number, were under the commands of a certain Commander Sanad and a certain commander Bisaya.
The two wounded soldiers are now undergoing medical treatment in an undisclosed hospital while
reinforcement troops are now conducting pursuit operations.
Meanwhile, Petinglay has called on local government units, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and the Moro National Liberation Front “to keep watch over the security situation of their respective areas by giving accurate information regarding terror activities and plans of any threat groups.”
