TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Two Filipino soldiers and a number of militants who broke the ceasefire agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), died during an armed clash, according to a local military official on Thursday.
The fightings erupted in southern Philippines just one day after Philippine President Benigno Aquino proposed a Muslim autonomy bill to the parliament—an important step to end the ongoing rebellion that has killed thousands of people.
Around 20 guerrilla fighters from Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) opened fire on a group of soldiers on Wednesday before attacking a military back up unit that was sent to counterattack, said Maj. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan.
The guerrilla fighters managed to shoot two soldiers and injured six others, said Pangilinan. Quoting local witnesses, Pangilinan said that around 10 rebel fighters were killed during the combat, which lasted for two hours.
If witnesses estimates are accurate, then Thursday's fighting was the bloodiest incident involving BIFF in Mindanao since July, where 17 rebels and one soldier was killed in one day.
BIFF is known to be a breakout group from the largest militant rebel group in the Phiilippines: MILF. BIFF separated and established itself as an organization in 2008.
Previously in March, MILF, which commands an estimated 10,000 soldiers, reached an agreement with the government after Manila offered to create an autonomous region for Muslims in Mindanao. BIFF have since rejected the proposal and vowed to keep fighting for the establishment of an independent Islamic state in the south of the Philippines.
In July, BIFF has aligned itself with Daulah Islamiyah—also known as Islamic State (IS)—a hardline religious group who controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
On the other hand, MILF condemns IS and pledges to stop the spread of the "virus" in Southeast Asia.
ANTARA
