816 families displaced by recent Army, BIFF clash in Maguindanao
Local News • 02:45 AM Wed Mar 14, 2018
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By:
Helen Dimalen/NDU-BAComm3
Government forces sent to Maguindanao to pursue BIFF armed group. (6th ID Photo)
COTABATO CITY -- Skirmishes between government troops and
the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in two muncipalities of Maguindanao
last week has displaced 816 families that are now staying in nine evacuation
sites.
This was learned by DXMS-Radyo Bida
Cotabato City of Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation from Maguindanao
provincial social welfare action officer Emma Ali on Monday.
Ali said this number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)is over and
above the 2,070 families in 16 evacuation centers who were forced to flee their
homes after warring groups of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) clashed in Datu
Saudi Ampatuan on February 8.
This has brought the number of evacuees
in the province now to 2,886 in 25 evacuation centers, Ali said.
The latest group of evacuees fled to
safety to avoid being caught in the crossfire between Army troops and BIFF
gunmen on March 8 and 9 in the adjoining towns of Datu Saudi, Shariff Aguak, and
Datu Unsay.
Army reports said 44 BIFF were killed in
the clashes while 26 more were wounded.
Ali said a mother and child were also
wounded by stray bullets in Shariff Aguak. Their wounds, luckily, were not serious
and both are recovering at the Maguindanao Provincial Hospital, Ali added.
Ali said they have validated 572 evacuee
families in four evacuation site in Datu Saudi and 58 IDP families in four
evacuation sites in Datu Unsay.
Relief workers from the local government
units and the province of Maguindanao had already provided initial assistance
like food packs to the IDPs with help from DSWD-ARMM and DSWD-12, Ali said.
Their health needs are meanwhile being attended to by health workers of the
Maguindanao Integrated Provincial Health Office under Dr. Tahir B. sulaik.
The wounded mother and child in Shariff
Aguak also received financial assistance from the local government, she added.
Ali said local government officials in
the affected towns are still awaiting advice from the military as to when the
IDPs can be allowed to go back to their residences. (Helen Dimalen/NDU-BAComm3)