Army Continues Pursuit of Gunmen After Attack on Patrol Base in Maguindanao del Sur

MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR – The army has launched a pursuit operation against a group of gunmen suspected to be local terrorists, following an attack on a patrol base in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao del Sur, which resulted in the death of a soldier and minor injuries to two others.

According to Philippines News Agency, the incident occurred around 1 p.m. on Sunday as soldiers were engaged in relief distribution activities for flood victims and managing checkpoints and flood control units in Barangay Pagatin. A soldier from the 99th Infantry Battalion, based in Shariff Aguak, was fatally shot during the harassment by the gunmen. “We did not expect that to happen since we are helping our people there who were victims of calamities,” Orbon stated during a radio interview.

Datu Salibo is currently one of 17 towns in Maguindanao del Sur affected by flooding due to localized thunderstorms. Despite the recent attack, Lt. Col. Orbon affirmed that military operations to aid flood victims would continue, with heightened security measures in place to prevent further incidents. The attackers, believed to be about 10 in number, are thought to be remnants of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) or the Dawlah Islamiya terrorist group, which are active in the province.