Assault rifles found at BIFF's hideout in Cotabato

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Soldiers seized Monday three assault rifles hidden in an abandoned hideout of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

Besides the two M16 rifles and an M14, personnel of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion also found communication equipment, ammunition of assorted calibers and components for improvised explosive devices in one of the makeshift shelters in the BIFF enclave in Barangay Nabalawag in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

Major Gen. Diosdado Carreon of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division said Tuesday members of 34th IB were dispatched to Barangay Nabalawag to check the presence there of BIFF gunmen that villagers reported via text messages to contacts in Camp Siongco, the command center of 6th ID located in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.

The BIFF bandits scampered away when they sensed that soldiers were closing in from two directions, backed by Simba armored combat vehicles.

Local officials said the terrorists, who escaped towards the nearby Liguasan Delta, belong to one of the groups led by Imam Karialan, who is wanted for a number of deadly bombings in central Mindanao in the past four years.