TROOPS have recovered the cadavers of three Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and their firearms in a combat clearing operation Maguindanao, a top military official said.
Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief, said the remains were recovered around 1 p.m. Tuesday, November 26, a day after the troops conducted surgical operation against the BIFF in the village of Pusao, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao.
Sobejana said the troops from the Army's 33rd Infantry Battalion and 5th Special Forces Battalion also recovered one caliber 5.56-millimeter K2 assault rifle and a caliber .45 pistol.
He said the three slain rebels belong to the BIFF-Bungos faction based in Shariff Saydona Mustapah town.
He said the troops have coordinated with the village officials of Pusao to identify the recovered cadavers and subsequently facilitate the proper burial of the slain BIFF fighters.
Earlier, members of the Army's 57th Infantry Battalion recovered three M-16 Armalite rifles, three improvised explosive devices and six improvised had grenades when they conducted a combat clearing operation in the village of Pamalian, Shariff Saydona.
"These recoveries connote operational success while our troops on the ground build up their focused military operations to hunt and pound the remaining terrorists in Central Mindanao," Sobejana said.
"Rest assured that Western Mindanao Command remains committed to provide a safe and secured environment to all communities under our area of operation," he added. (SunStar Zamboanga)