COTABATO, Philippines – Members of the ISIS-inspired terrorist group Dawlah Islamiyah clashed with a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) group, sparking an evacuation of mostly indigenous Teduray families in Datu Hoffer town in Maguindanao del Sur, on Monday, September 11.

Police reported that two men were killed during the confrontation.

Colonel Oriel Pangcog, commander of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade, said the encounter between the two armed groups took place in Barangay Tuawayan, Datu Hoffer town, involving the group led by Abdulnasser Guianid of Dawlah Islamiyah and MILF’s 118th Base Command under Saga Malandas.

Pangcog said the two groups fought for about half an hour before retreating as soon as troops from the Army’s 40th Infantry Battalion arrived.

Lieutenant Albert Pansoy, the town’s police chief, confirmed that two men believed to be members of Dawlah Islamiyah were killed in the fierce encounter.

Datu Hoffer is a town with a mixed population of Muslim Maguindanaons and Teduray indigenous people.

Froilyn Mendoza, a member of the region’s parliament, reported that at least 24 Teduray families initially evacuated out of fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

Tragically, a one-month-old baby boy died in an evacuation center on Monday night after his family’s stressful ordeal.

“The baby was suffering from severe asthma, and their evacuation made matters worse,” said Anton Dian, the town’s indigenous people’s representative.

Police suspect that rido or clan war may have played a role in the exchange of firepower.

Despite the implementation of the election gun ban, rido violence and gun battles have continued in various areas of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Bangsamoro region has confiscated about a dozen firearms since the implementation of the gun ban.

The most recent incident occurred on Monday night when two individuals were apprehended with three pistols in Mother Tamontaka, Cotabato City, after a resident reported them to authorities.

Colonel Queruben Manalang Jr., Cotabato City police chief, expressed concern about tension in the area stemming from a property dispute between a retired colonel and a resident.

“We cannot tolerate those who violate the unauthorized carrying of firearms, especially during the implementation of the gun ban. They can settle their dispute in court,” Manalang said. – Rappler.com