MANILA, Sept. 11 (PNA) — Twelve people, 10 of them Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), were killed and another six were wounded following another clash in Barangay Palongogue, Midyasap town, North Cotabato Thursday morning.
Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6th Infantry Division commander, said the clash took place between troopers of the 40th Infantry Battalion and 20 armed BIFF members.
In the issuing firefight, which took place 6:40 a.m., 10 BIFF men were killed along with two government troopers.
Six soldiers were also wounded in the encounter, Pangilinan said.
He added that the death report for the BIFF came from civilians living in the area.
Pursuit operations are still ongoing as of this posting.
The first firefight happened around 10 p.m. Wednesday where BIFF brigands fired on a detachment of the 40th Infantry Battalion, also in Barangay Palongogue, resulting in no casualties to government troopers manning the outpost.
Pangilinan attributed the attacks to the progress in the ongoing peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which was highlighted by the submission on Wednesday of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress. (PNA)