1 killed, 4 wounded in armed encounter between MILF factions

ZAMBOANGA CITY — A fighter of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were killed while four others were wounded in a six-hour armed confrontation between two factions of the front in Mamasapano, Maguindanao, last Monday, October 12.

Joint Task Force (JTF) Central Commander Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, in his report to the Armed Force of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) here, said that the encounter also sent several residents living near the encounter site to evacuate to safer grounds.

Uy reported to AFP-WestMinCom Commander Lt. Gen Corleto Vinluan Jr. on Wednesday that an armed confrontation between the group of Salik Kiko and Ben Tikaw transpired in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Monday, October 12.

Uy said Salik Kiko was a delisted member of the 118th Base Command of the MILF, while Ben Tikaw was a member of the 105th Base Command.

After six hours of intermittent armed confrontation, a certain Alimudin was reportedly killed, while three members of Kiko’s group and a fighter from the Tikaw group were wounded.

“We immediately deployed personnel from the 33rd Infantry Battalion in coordination with the local officials and the PNP to closely monitor the situation,” Uy said.

He also said they established checkpoints to keep the armed violence from spilling over to populated areas.

“We are still waiting for the results of the investigation as to why these two groups clashed,” Vinluan said.