MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - Soldiers recovered 40 firearms and 18 home-made bombs in camps of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in a continuing crackdown since late January. Army units and BIFF forces figured in intermittent clashes the past five days in Datu Salibo town in Maguindanao, where government forces are trying to neutralize a group of militants led by Ismael Abubakar. Abubakar, a foreign-trained Islamic missionary, helped establish the BIFF in 2010. “We got tips from officials of different local government units that 11 more BIFF members were indeed killed in the latest encounters in Maguindanao,” Dela Vega told reporters Thursday. “One of the fatalities is Khalid, a senior BIFF leader and a trusted henchman of Bongos," a local official told reporters Tuesday.

Source: Philippine Star May 11, 2017 08:48 UTC