Philippine Troops Kill 12 Suspected Muslim Rebels in Clash That Wounded Seven Soldiers

According to reports from the local authorities, Philippine troops kill 12 suspected Muslim rebels in clash that wounded seven soldiers.

MANILA, Philippines — In a clash in the country’s south, Philippine troops killed the leader of a small Muslim rebel group, as well as eleven of his men accused of previous bombings and extortion, military officials said Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara said seven soldiers were wounded in an hourlong gunfight Monday against suspected Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in the marshy hinterland of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur province.

Cagara said a key rebel commander, Mohiden Animbang, also known as Karialan, was killed, along with his brother, Saga Animbang, and ten other suspected militants. Approximately a dozen of their firearms were recovered from the battlefield.

This group has long been known for bombings, attacking army and police outposts, and extorting bus companies. “We finally caught up with them,” Lt. Col. Dennis Almorato, a regional army spokesperson, told The Associated Press over the phone.

Army officials attempted to persuade Animbang’s group to surrender, but they chose to continue fighting the government, according to Almorato.

The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters are one of a few armed groups still fighting for separatism in the southern Philippines, the home of minority Muslims in the predominantly Catholic country.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest armed separatist group, reached a peace agreement with the government in 2014, ending decades of sporadic fighting. Ameril Umbra Kato, a key commander, left the rebel front to pursue peace talks with the government, forming the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, some of whom later aligned with the Islamic State group.

The military is fighting a decades-long communist insurgency that has been weakened by battle setbacks, infighting, and surrenders.

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