Ben Madilynn
A LEADER and 15 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters-Karialan Faction (BIFF-KF) laid down their arms and returned to the folds of law due to the Joint Task Force (JTF)-Central’s continuous conduct of military operations and strengthened collaboration with the local government units, the military said Sunday, September 29, 2024.
Major General Antonio Nafarrete, JTF-Central command, said they surrendered on Thursday, September 26, at the headquarters of the 33rd Infantry Battalion (33IB) in Barangay Zapakan, Radjah Buayan, Maguindanao del Sur.
Nafarrete said the surrender of the BIFF leader and members was facilitated by the troops of the 33rd Infantry Battalion headed by Lieutenant Colonel Udgie Villan.
Among the surrendered personalities was alias Oding, head of the Morsedin Division of the BIFF group under Umbra Kato.
Oding was also an adviser of the BIFF. When the BIFF was divided into two factions following the death of Umbra Kato, Oding decided to join the Karialan Faction where he was nominated as Brigade Commander of the 2nd Division under Zulkarnain Sapal, also known as Zuk.
The surrenders handed over their firearms which include two 60-millimeter (MM) mortars, two 40-mm Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) launchers, two 40-mm M203 grenade launchers, one caliber .30 sniper rifle, two caliber .30 Garand rifles, one M16A1 rifle, four 9-mm Uzi submachine guns and one caliber .30 Carbine rifle, two improvised explosive devices and five rounds of 40-mm RPG high explosives.
The surrenderers are now under the custody of 33IB for custodial debriefing and profiling while the surrendered war materiel was turned over to the logistics section of the said unit for proper disposition.
Lieutenant General William Gonzales, commander of the Western Mindanao Command, commended the troops of JTF-Central for their steadfast resolve to end terrorism and clear Central Mindanao from remnants of different threat groups.
“Rest assured that we will continue to work doubly to clear every community from traces of terrorism,” Gonzales said. (SunStar Zamboanga)
