By Ali G. Macabalang
COTABATO CITY – A woman, reportedly pregnant, was killed and a boy was injured on Saturday in mortar shelling amid resumed military offensives against members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao, according to civilian and Army officials.
Initial reports identified the fatality as Naano Mangintas and the wounded boy as Nene Mohammad, 14 years old.
The report was later on confirmed by Army Capt. Ervin Encinas who spoke for the 6th Infantry Division.
The victims were tending rice farm in Lower Idtig, Gen. Saliada Pendatun town in Maguindanao when a mortar round hit their location Saturday morning, lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo said his news breaking Facebook post.
Mangintas died on the spot while the boy was rushed to hospital for treatment, said Sinarimbo, a former executive secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Soldiers backed by airstrikes and mortar fires on June 9 launched surgical offensives on a makeshift bomb-making factory and other lairs of BIFF combatants led by certain kumander Bungos and Abu Toraife in some sections of the Liguasan Marsh bordering Maguindanao and North Cotabato.
Fifteen rebels were killed and the factory was overrun in the first day of operations, which have been coordinated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Army’s 6th Infantry Division (6ID) said earlier.
The military operations were suspended during the celebration of the Eid’l Fitr (end of Ramahan fasting) on June 15, but have been resumed last Saturday, according to Senarimbo.