MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2021) The Philippine military has cleared the town of Datu Paglas in the southern province of Maguindanao after some 100 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), an Islamist militant organization aligned with the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia), briefly seized a local market, media reported on Saturday.
The army launched an operation on Friday in response to reports about presence of militants in the town, the ABS-CBN broadcaster reported.
According to the military, clashes lasted for over an hour before the military regained control of the area. The fighting did not result in casualties among the military or civilians, the broadcaster added.
The BIFF is a breakaway group of ex-members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front who rejected a 2014 peace deal with the Philippine government.
