The military thwarted an attempt to attack Maguindanao and areas in Central Mindanao after confiscating 12 powerful types of homemade explosives.
The explosives were seized in the soldiers’ ongoing surgical operations against the Dawla Islamic terrorist group.
According to Major Gen. Diosdado Carreon, commander of the 6th Infantry Division and head of the Joint Task Force Central (JTFC), among the confiscated explosives are IEDs, high-powered firearms and bomb-making equipment.
The military recovered the weapons at various Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) camps in the town of Shariff Saydona Mustapha.
It is believed that the explosives will be used in the attacks on Maguindanao and neighboring provinces.
In Barangay Pamalian, Shariff Saydona, military forces recovered high powered Armalite rifles with ammunition, improvised hand grenade bombs, and mounted live 81 mm mortar and other components to build an IED.
According to the military intelligence report, the BIFF will use and deploy the bombs in the streets of Maguindanao and populated areas in Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.
Last month, around 2,700 Mamasapano residents fled and were displaced after the army, and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) clashed in Barangay Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Army’s 33rd Infantry Battalion (33IB) had an encounter with the BIFF, which is linked to the Islamic State (IS) along Tukanalipao River wherein one rebel died, and two others were injured. The SAF (Special Action Force) 44 also died in the said site in 2015.
According to Ismael Hashim, chairperson of Barangay Tukanalipao, the BIFF rebels opened fire on the military stationed near the new bridge built across Tukanalipao River.
The Mamasapano residents said the BIFF fled the scene with their killed and two wounded members following ground and artillery attacks by the government’s military forces.