Philippine troops have successfully neutralized the leader of a small Muslim rebel group, along with eleven of his associates, who were allegedly involved in past bombings and extortion activities in a recent clash in the southern Philippines. The confrontation unfolded on Monday in the marshy hinterland of Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao del Sur province.
According to the news agency AP, Brig. Gen. Jose Vladimir Cagara confirmed that the hour-long gun battle resulted in the demise of Mohiden Animbang, also known as Karialan, the key commander of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), alongside his brother Saga Animbang and ten other suspected militants. Seven soldiers sustained injuries during the operation.
“This group has long been notorious for bombings, attacking army and police outposts, and extortion of bus companies. We finally caught up with them,” Lt. Col. Dennis Almorato, a regional army spokesperson, emphasized, highlighting the group’s history of violence and criminal activities as reported by AP.
Efforts to persuade Animbang’s group to surrender were reportedly unsuccessful, leading to the military engagement. Almorato indicated that despite multiple attempts at dialogue, the rebels persisted in their resistance against the government.