Bandits, Army clash in Pikit

NORTH COTABATO, Philippines -- Combatants of the Army’s 5th Special Forces (SF) Battalion foiled Wednesday an attempt by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters to take over a detachment in a riverside village in North Cotabato’s Pikit town, a military spokesman said.

Captain Tony Bulao, spokesman of the Army’s 602nd Brigade, said followers of BIFF leaders Tambako and Ustadz Karialan  surrounded the detachment of the Special Forces operatives in Paidu Pulangi in Pikit and then opened fire with assault rifles and shoulder-fire 40 MM grenades.

The soldiers manning the detachment returned fire preventing the bandits from  getting close.

The hostilities sent more than 50 families fleeing,  according to barangay officials.

Although outnumbered, the SF combatants engaged their attackers in a 15-minute encounter, which waned only when the BIFF bandits ran out of ammunition.

Barangay officials confirmed seeing the fleeing the bandits carry three wounded companions as they escaped to a marshland in nearby Datu Piang town in Maguindanao.