Military out to hunt 'main group' of BIFF after Maguindanao firefight

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Monday said it is tracking down the main group of Islamic State-linked Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) after the local terrorist group occupied the town center of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao.

In a television interview, AFP chief of staff General Cirilito Sobejana claimed that over 20 BIFF members could be "a scripted group" meant to divert military's attention.

"These 20 members have the intention to divert our attention. The 20 members are scripted group of the BIFF. From what we are seeing in their tactics, they want to sway our direction. So we will be doing adjustments in our operations by hunting down their main body and we will have contingency forces at the vacuum areas," Sobejana explained, in mixed Filipino and English, over CNN Philippines.

Members of the local terrorist group reportedly went to Liguasan Marsh after the attack, Sobejana added. However, the government troops will still need more assets to reach the said area, a catch basin of waters coming from the Rio Grande de Mindanao.

"It is difficult to travel to that terrain, sad to say. We will address this by coordinating with major services to acquire mobility assets for the Liguasan area," Sobejana said partly in Filipino.

Quoting witnesses' claims, Sobejana also said around four local terrorist group members were injured in the gunfight with security forces over the weekend.

"There are about four BIFF members who are being carried. We presumed they are wounded," Sobejana told the television anchor, in mixed Filipino and English.

In a report on Sunday, the top military official said no casualties were reported among soldiers and civilians after the occupation of BIFF at the Datu Paglas public market.—AOL, GMA News