Datu Paglas, Maguindanao—Four extremists were killed, as the military thwarted an attempt by an Islamic State-inspired armed group to occupy the municipal hall here in a nine-hour clash Tuesday.
Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commanding general of the 6th Infantry (Kampilan) Division, said Army and police backed by local Moro militias blocked the attempt by a local terrorist group to occupy the seat of the municipal government Tuesday.
Lt. Col. Harold M. Cabunoc, commanding officer of the 33rd Infantry (Makabayan) Battalion, said three soldiers and a local militiaman were wounded in the clash with a breakaway group of the Bangsamoro Freedom Fighters, which is reportedly inspired by ISIS.
They were identified as Cpl. Millard Bacatan and Pvt. Allan Cabildo of the 33rd IB, and, militiaman Musa Kalim. No civilians were reported hurt in the fighting.
Field reports said the house-to-house close-quarters encounter lasted nine hours from 5 am to 2 pm Tuesday.
“In a swift combined arms operation at 5 am, the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade composed of the 33rd Infantry [Makabayan] Battalion, the 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion, and the 4th Special Action Battalion attacked the occupied positions of BIFF terrorists, led by Sulaiman Tudon,” Sobejana said in a statement.
Led by Cabunoc, the government forces attacked the BIFF cluster of concrete houses in Sitio Mopac, Barangay Poblacion, about 500 meters from the municipal hall, Sobejana said.
About 500 families were displaced by the fighting but Datu Paglas Vice Mayor Mohammad Pendatun Paglas said evacuees had promptly returned to their homes after Wednesday morning.
Maguindanao Board Member Jhazzer Mangudadatu appealed to the youth among the residents to cooperate with and support the local campaign against terrorism, saying Islam originates from peace.
Ustadz Nando Khalifa, community spiritual leader of Datu Paglas, said this was the second attack by the extremist group in the town, after it was driven out in May 2017 when the Bangsamoro Dharul Ifta of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front ruled against violent extremism.
Khalifa, one of the founding MILF members, said the MILF fought side by side with the state against local extremists in 2017.
“Anyone who supports terrorism, anyone who sees terrorism as a legitimate [cause]; anyone who [resorts to] terrorism [by killing] innocent people, is a terrorist in our province,” he said.