257 families flee Army-BIFF clashes in Maguindanao

SHARIFF AGUAK,
Maguindanao - More than 250 families or about 1,200 persons have been displaced
by on-going military offensive against ISIS inspired group here.

The displaced
families, mostly from Barangay Bagong, are now staying in two villages,
according to Farouk Romancap, municipal social welfare officer.

He said 91
families are now housed at Madrasa in Barangay Satan and 166 others in a tent
in Barangay Kuloy.

They were
afraid to return home because they still hear explosions and gun fire,
Romancap said. We are attending to
their needs because it may take long before they will return home, he added.

sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/23634672_10203752350485701_956133584_n.jpg?oh=df9cad4c076f77182a09e6cf577dbd46andampoe=5A0FD7F9 Romancap said
more troops were seen heading toward Barangay Timbangan as of 2 p.m. Thursday,
apparently to reinforce existing troops in the area.

He quoted
Alisan Bayong, one of the internally displaced persons, who said she was
worried her valuables might be lost as she and her children hurriedly left on
Tuesday dawn.

We are
establishing community kitchen and ensure safe drinking water for the
evacuees, Romancap said, admitting he was stunned by the number of persons
affected. Ang dami talaga nila, babae at mga bata (There are plenty of them,
mostly women and children), he said.

sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/23635372_10203752348685656_974065545_n.jpg?oh=8864ff6ee6b195f644fdd51a22c01ffeandampoe=5A0FEEB9 Romancap said
the Shariff Aguak LGU has already extended initial food aid to affected
families.

Myrna Jo
Henry, speaking for the Humanitarian Emergency Action Response Team of the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM-HEART), is preparing relief
operations after validation and assessment are completed.

The protocol
is LGU responds first then we come in to augment assistance, including non-food
items, Henry said.

sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/23634853_10203752348525652_959156045_n.jpg?oh=7222d7c617c2a3119805f3b967096b4eandampoe=5A0F9D13 At about 4
a.m. on Tuesday, two helicopter gunships pounded with rockets the villages of
Timbangan in Shariff Aguak and Meta in Datu Unsay towns in Maguindanao to flush
out ISIS inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), led by Imam
Bongus.

Capt. Arvin
John Encinas, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the airstrikes were
backed by artillery attack from elements of 40th Infantry Battalion.

Government
forces were after three sub-commanders of the BIFF, according to Encinas. He identified them as Herodin, Khadza and
Lucman, all henchmen of Commander Imam Bongus.

The Army’s 601st
brigade said in a statement that at least seven BIFF were killed during the air
and ground assaults. It said the
information was from civilians who knew the slain BIFF.

It is still
being verified, we cannot confirm that unless we have body count, Encinas
said.

Encinas would
not confirm nor deny the report that foreign looking men were sighted in the
groups that necessitate air strikes.

An
intelligence police officer said the group of Herodin, Khadza and Lucman were
recruiting members for the ISIS inspired group, offering P20,000 cash to
parents to allow their children to study Arabic and the Quran.

A military
official also said a video was recovered in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao showing
military training for recruits somewhere in Maguindanao with the ISIS black
flag in the background.

Abu Misri
Mama, speaking for Imam Bungos, denied his group suffered casualty in the air
and ground offensives.

We already
left the area before the attack, he said in a phone interview. sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t34.0-12/23634653_10203752347885636_1690360335_n.jpg?oh=ef69869d4e018932671c13cf4ed9a9ceandampoe=5A0F9D78