14 more BIFF members surrender in Maguindanao
NORTH UPI, Maguindanao - Fourteen more members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters surrendered to the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion here Monday.
The 14 BIFF members, who turned a dozen assault rifles, four fragmentation grenades and a 60 millimeter mortar, pledged allegiance to the government through the intercession of local leaders and officials of the 57th B.
Their names were withheld pending their relocation to areas far from reach of their hardcore companions.
Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said Tuesday the 14 men shall be reintroduced to mainstream society by the 57th IB and the local government units in their respective hometowns.
Uy, also commander of the anti-terror Joint Task Force Central, said they are expecting the surrender soon of more BIFF members.
“Our units have been receiving surrender feelers. More are to yield soon,” Uy said.
More than a hundred members of the three factions in the BIFF surrendered to the 6th ID in the past six months.
The biggest of the three BIFF factions is led by Karialan, leader of the 14 men who surrendered to the 57th IB.
Karialan is wanted for more than 30 heinous cases in different courts in central Mindanao.
The BIFF, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, is tagged in all deadly bombings in central Mindanao since 2014.