THE Army unleashed its mechanized units against the BIFF bandits. AFP FILE PHOTO Combined police and military forces repelled an attempt by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to seize control of the town of Datu Paglas in Maguindanao Tuesday.

The BIFF bandits were forced to flee after nine hours of fighting starting at around 5 a.m., according to a report reaching Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) headquarters yesterday.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, commanding officer of the 33rd Infantry Batallion, said the BIFF was led by one Sulaiman Tudon.

Musa Kalim, a suspected BIFF leader, was critically-wounded. Three soldiers were also wounded in the operation which saw the military use attack helicopters and armored vehicles.

“We confronted enemy snipers and (defused) improvised bombs as we seized the areas previously occupied by the terrorists,” said Cabunoc.

“We also wanted to contain the fighting outside of the highly populated area some 500 meters away,” he added.

Seeing action against the BIFF were elements of the local police, the 1st Mechanized Infantry Brigade composed of the 33rd Infantry (Makabayan) Battalion and the 4th Special Action Battalion of the AFP.

The BIFF bandits were flushed out from previously occupied positions in Sitio Mopac of Barangay Poblacion, just 500 meters away from the town hall.

Some 500 people who escaped the fighting were sheltered at the municipal building.

According to intelligence reports, the group of Tudon wanted to impose Islamic law on the residents of Datu Paglas.