Six more BIFF bandits surrender to 40th IB Army

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao --- Six followers of a wanted leader of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters surrendered Wednesday and pledged allegiance to the government.

The six henchmen of Kagui Karialan, leader of one of three factions in the BIFF, yielded through the intercession of officials of the Army’s 40^th Infantry Battalion and leaders in Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao.

The BIFF operates in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and has a reputation for bombing commercial establishments and public conveyances if owners refuse to shell out “protection money” on monthly basis.

Major Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division, said Thursday the six men also turned in an M16 rifle, a 5.56 caliber Ultimax light machinegun, an M14 rifle, two bolt-action Barrett sniper rifles and a B40 anti-tank rocket.

“Local officials and the 6^th ID will cooperate in reintroducing them to mainstream society,” Uy, also commander of the Joint Task Force Central, said.

Four other followers of Karialan surrendered four days ahead to the Army’s 34^th IB and local officials in Midsayap, North Cotabato.

More than 300 BIFF members, among them followers of Imam Bongos and Abu Toraife, leaders of two other factions in the group, have surrendered in batches to 6^th ID since 2017.