ARMED Forces Chief of Staff General Cirilito Sobejana called on the residents and local government officials of Maguindanao to remain vigilant following Saturday’s attack on Datu Paglas town by fully armed members of a breakaway group of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom, Fighters (BIFF).
“I enjoin the populace of and local leaders in Maguindanao to remain vigilant as we continue our watch until peace is stabilized,” said Sobejana on Sunday, a day after the military ended what could have been another siege as the one in Zamboanga City which was attacked and occupied by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) years ago.
Armed fighters led by Ustadz Sulaiman Tundo attacked Datu Paglas and briefly occupied the town’s public market on Saturday, forcing the military to shut down the town as it braced for a showdown with the terrorist group aligned with the Islamic State.
The group, which is under Mohiden Animbang alias Commander Kagi Karialan, left the public market and the town following 30 minutes of firefight with soldiers and negotiations with local officials.
Animbang is one of the original leaders of the BIFF but broke away from the group and aligned himself and his followers with IS, the terrorist group behind the attack of Marawi City in Lanao del Sur in 2017.
The military claimed it had prevented the Animbang/Karialan group from launching offensives against civilian residents in Datu Paglas early Saturday morning, with elements of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade intercepting the armed fighters.
The group has been the subject of intense anti-terrorism operations by the military in recent days in neighboring municipalities, but some members of the group appeared to have eluded them and escaped to Datu Paglas.
“The extremist groups were forced to withdraw in the same morning after security forces were able to isolate the area. The national highway was again open for public commuters at around 10:30 in the morning of the same day after the clearing of the area was confirmed by security forces,” Joint Task Force Central spokesman Lt. Col. John Baldomar said.
Four homemade bombs or improvised explosive devices, laid by the group as they left Datu Paglas, were recovered by security forces.
No civilian or military casualties were reported killed.
Karialan and his group had been involved in the explosions in the town of Datu Saudi-Ampatuan in March 2021, killing two civilians and wounding two others.
Sobejana said the situation in Datu Paglas has already normalized but gave assurances the military will not rest until it has neutralized the threat.
“Let us continue to engage local government authorities, stakeholders and civilians to ensure that peace and security in Datu Paglas and its neighboring towns are preserved,” Sobejana said.