The military on Sunday launched air strike operations against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) under the Bungos faction in Maguindanao, disabling the group’s bomb factory.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the air strikes that started at 4 a.m. lasted hours.

“The only information I can provide is that we were able to destroy the main IED (improvised explosive device) factory in Southern Liguasan,” Sobejana told reporters.





“So, it is a big loss [for the BIFF] on their IED emplacements in crowded areas. Our clearing [operations] is ongoing,” he added.

Sobejana said no civilian casualties were reported.

“We made use of all available capabilities, all available means and we employed our reasonable force to neutralize the military target,” he said.

After disabling the IED factory, soldiers hoisted a Philippine flag there.

“We cannot account if there were enemies killed since [the marsh] is composed of water. Maybe, some of them drowned,” Sobejana said, adding that 60 to 100 BIFF members were in the area.