COTABATO CTIY – Government troops killed two rebels in a clash in Maguindanao province in the restive Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines, officials said on Monday.
Officials said the fighting broke out late Sunday after members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked the headquarters of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion and several detachments in Salbu village in the town of Datu Saudi Ampatuan.
A seven-year old child was also wounded by a stray bullet fired by rebels, according to Capt. Rolando Ocharan, a spokesman for the military. He said the victim was immediately transported to Cotabato Regional and Medical Center here.
He said the fighting lasted almost 30 minutes and that no soldiers were killed or wounded in the clash.
Ocharan identified the two slain rebels as Muslemen Abdul and Tong Adzal. He said several rebels were also wounded, but managed to escape.
He said Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom has expressed his support to the 2nd Mechanized Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Felix Laudemer Jahulugan in maintaining peace and order in Datu Saudi Ampatuan.
The BIFF, which recently pledged allegiance with the Sunni jihadist group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, is fighting for independence in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
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