[Inquirer] Christmas attacks by Muslim militants in southern Philippine villages left at least 14 people dead and may have been partly influenced by Daesh's notoriety, officials said Saturday. The dead included nine villagers separately gunned down by Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter militants and at least five insurgents killed by government forces in clashes in three provinces on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.Regional military spokesperson Captain Joan Petinglay said about 200 militants took part in at least eight attacks on Thursday and Friday. She said the military found out about the impending attacks, secured towns and villages, and warned villagers not to venture out, which prevented a larger number of casualties.
Petinglay said, "We learned that the BIFF had plans to attack civilians and our detachments so we went on heightened alert even before Christmas. That prevented the rebels from attacking villages and inflicting more casualties."
Despite warnings, five farmers went to their farms Thursday to spray their crops in Maguindanao province and were captured and gunned down by the rebels. In a nearby village in Sultan Kudarat province, militants fleeing from troops took a family hostage on Thursday, releasing a mother and her child but killing three men. A village official was also gunned down by the militants late Thursday in North Cotabato province. Villagers in one area hid in a Roman Catholic church after word of the rebel assaults spread.
At least four militants died in a clash when their group assaulted a military outpost in Esperanza town on Thursday, triggering a firefight. Another injured militant was reported to have died in a village medical clinic. Two homemade explosives were left by the militants on a jungle trail where pursuing soldiers would pass, but the troops found the bombs.
The BIFF broke off from the larger MILF several years ago when they opposed the latter's decision to hold negotiations with the Philippine government. A BIFF spokesman said last year that his group supports Daesh.
The latest attacks were the most brazen by the BIFF since a military offensive against them left more than 100 gunmen dead early this year. The insurgent group still has about 100 armed fighters who may have been joined by relatives and new recruits to stage the attacks.