33 jihadists killed in clash with AFP

Thirty-three Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have been killed in  renewed firefight with the military as security forces halted pursuit operations against the jihadists who sought refuge in so-called Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) communities in Maguindanao, a military official said on Sunday.

Blood ties have prevailed over an agreement between the MILF and the military under which the liberation front is supposed to  bar criminal elements from entering the front’s communities, according to Col. Cirilito Sobejana, the commander of the Philippine Army’s 601st Brigade.