MAGUINDANAO, Philippines — The military recovered almost a dozen camps of the Dawlah Islamiya or Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in this province last week.
Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division acknowledged the role of local government and barangay officials in the takeover of the BIFF camps in Mamasapano, Shariff Saidona, Shariff Aguak and Datu Saudi towns.
“We are thankful to Moro communities for supporting our operations against these terrorists,” Carreon said.
Seven members of the BIFF, three of them relatives of Esmael Abdulmalik, alias Abu Toraife, one of the leaders of the group, were killed in clashes with government troopers.
The military said 34 improvised explosive devices, some of them attached to booby traps and planted along the roads leading to BIFF lairs, were detonated.
Authorities said 10 rifles, an M79 grenade launcher, a rocket launcher with a B-40 anti-tank projectile, a 60 millimeter mortar tube, a shotgun and a 9mm pistol were seized from the BIFF camps.