BY JOSEPH JUBELAG
COTABATO CITY – Members of the ISIS-inspired Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) attacked a police station in Datu Piang, Maguindanao in an attempt to abduct the town cop chief shortly before midnight Thursday, the military reported Friday.
Lt. Col. Anhuovic Atillano, spokesperson of 6th Infantry Division, said troops are now pursuing the BIFF rebels who stormed the police station in Datu Piang, Maguindanao and burned a police patrol car.
He said Army troops were able to repulse some 30 heavily-armed BIFF men led by Karialan Animbang who attacked the police station and tried to seize its police chief Capt. Israel Bayona.
Authorities said the BIFF gunmen wanted to abduct the police chief who figured in a misunderstanding with the relatives of one of the BIFF rebels.
“The police chief of Datu Piang was the target of the BIFF gunmen who carried out the attack on the town proper,” Atillano said.
He said a company-size troops from the 6th ID arrived in the area to reinforce policemen and soldiers who engaged the rebels in a 40-minute firefight.
He said the rebels set on fire the abandoned patrol car before they withdrew toward the Liguasan Marsh.
Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, 6th ID commander, arrived in the area an hour after the attack and ordered the deployment of additional security forces in the town.
