Manila: Pro-Islamic State militants stormed a school in the southern Philippines early on Wednesday and are holding several students hostage, police said, on the same island where fighting between government troops and Islamists has entered its fifth week.

A police report said about 300 armed men, among them members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), stormed a school in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato province on Mindanao island and were holding some students captive.

Members of the BIFF were engaged in a gun battle with the military, the police chief at Pigcawayan, Chief Inspector Realan Mamon, said in a radio interview.

"We can confirm that they occupied a school and there were civilians trapped. We are in the process of determining how many were trapped and their identities," Mamon said.</s>Several militants, said to be pro-Islamic State, stormed a school in southern Philippines and held a number of students hostage on Wednesday.

Reports say that hundereds of members of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have entered the school in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato province and are plenning to use them as human shields.

The school is located on Mindanao island where the fighting between government troops and Islamists has entered its fifth week.

Pigcawayan is some 90 kms from Marawi City where the fighting between islamic extremists and Philippines military is on since May 23, said reports.

The renewed attack by the Philippines military in Marawi on Tuesday may have pushed the extremists to resort to occupying a school where they can take shelter by using chidldren as sheilds.

Police chief of Pigcawayan, Realan Mamon, has confirmed that there is a hostage situation in the school, said reports.</s>Nearly 300 pro-Islamic State militants stormed a school in Philippines early on Wednesday and held students hostage, Reuters reported. About 300 armed men, among them members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, stormed a school in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato province on Mindanao island and held students captive, police said.

Chief Inspector Realan Mamon, the police chief at Pigcawayan, said BIFF members engaged in a gunbattle with the Philippines military. “We can confirm that they occupied a school and there were civilians trapped,” Mamon said. “We are in the process of determining how many were trapped and their identities.”

But Philippines military subsequently said the militants retreated after the gunbattle, and there were no casualties.

BIFF militants, along with fighters from other groups who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, have been holed up and fighting the Philippines military in Marawi city, just 190 kilometres north of Pigcawayan, since May 23. Philippine aircraft and troops had launched a fresh push against the militants in Marawi City on Tuesday, with an aim to flush them out of the area by Eid on June 26.</s>Pro-Islamic State militants stormed a school in the southern Philippines early on Wednesday and are holding several students hostage, police said, on the same island where fighting between government troops and Islamists has entered its fifth week. A police report said about 300 armed men, among them members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters , stormed a school in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato province on Mindanao island and were holding some students captive.

Start the conversation, or Read more at The Globe and Mail.</s>(4TH UPDATE) Members of the BIFF have occupied a primary school in Pigcawayan town and have taken hostages, says the military

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) occupied a school and held hostages in North Cotabato's Pigcawayan town following clashes with government troops Wednesday morning, June 21.

Hundreds of gunmen initially attacked a lightly guarded military outpost in the North Cotabato town at dawn, with many withdrawing but about 30 then taking over the school and using civilians as human shields, the military said.

"As of now they are in the school holding the civilians. They are using them as human shields," Captain Arvin Encinas, spokesman for the army division with responsibility for the area, told Agence France-Presse by phone

He added the gunmen had planted improvised bombs around the school.

Encinas said he did not know how many hostages had been taken, or if they included children. In an earlier interview with the media, Encinas said around 12 civilians were taken hostage, but this number was subject to further validation.

An initial police report said that there were 5 hostages, all students of Malagakit Elementary School, but the military later clarified that none of the hostages were students.

Military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla confirmed in a Palace news briefing late Wednesday morning that the BIFF members had taken hostages which they used as "human shields," but he had no information at the time on whether they had been released.

"In the withdrawal phase of the armed group, they used some civilians as human shields....We are just ascertaining if they have released at least 5 civilians they have held [hostage]," Padilla said.

In an interview on Brigada News FM Wednesday morning, BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama confirmed their men launched the attack on Pigcawayan but denied that they held the "teachers and students" hostage. He claimed that the BIFF members just "secured" them to "protect them" following the clash.

Padilla said during the late morning Palace briefing that the incident had been "resolved."

"Umatras na po ang kalaban (The enemy has retreated)....It's already resolved," Padilla said in response to questions about the incident.

He said the area had been secured, and troops were on "pursuit mode" against the BIFF.

However about 6 hours later, Encinas reported the hostage crisis at the school. Padilla then appeared on television and confirmed militants were occupying the school.



Encinas and Padilla said there had also been skirmishes throughout the day outside of Pigcawayan, which is surrounded by marshlands, mountains, and farmlands.

Responding to questions in the morning news conference, Padilla described the BIFF attack as an "opportunistic activity" rather than a diversionary tactic. He also noted that since the incident happened between 5 am and 6 am, less people were affected.

"They are taking advantage of the situation. [They think] that we have a very lightly defended outpost and they think our forces are elsewhere in the province. Our forces are spread all over. We have been facing many fronts pero maayos na na-assign lahat ng puwersa na harapin ang mga banta (but all the forces have been properly assigned to respond to any threat)," he said.

When asked, Padilla said the attack could not be called a "spillover" of the Marawi clashes, since the BIFF came from elsewhere.

Chief Inspector Realan Mamon did not dismiss the possibility that the attack was meant to veer the military's attention from the Marawi siege. Mamon said in a radio interview that the attack could be a diversionary tactic to ease pressure on local terrorists in Marawi, which is 160 kilometers from the North Cotabato town.

The police said a firefight erupted after 300 "fully armed" BIFF fighters launched early morning attacks on a Barangay People's Augmentation Team (BPAT) outpost in Barangay Malagakit and a CAFGU detachment in Barangay Simsiman. The police said the gunmen were reportedly led by commanders identified as Abunawas Damiog, Abu Zaiden, and Abu Sala.

At least two CAFGU members were injured, according to police.

Pigcawayan Mayor Eliseo Garsesa placed the number of gunmen at around 200.

The police said Pigcawayan police helped the local government evacuate affected civilians. They had also set up checkpoints, secured the municipal building, and coordinated with barangay officials and the military on the incident.

Around 513 people were evacuated ‪from Barangay Malagakit to the poblacion‬, and also from Banucagon and Panatan, the police said.

The attack happened as the military accused the BIFF of planning to reinforce the terrorists fighting troops in Marawi City. (READ: 62 soldiers, cops killed in 4-week Marawi crisis)

Sources said, however, that a BIFF faction responsible for Wednesday's attack had no links to ISIS. The BIFF supposedly suffered a split after the death of founder Ameril Umra Kato in 2015.

The BIFF is a breakaway group of the dominant Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is talking peace with the Philippine government. (READ: ‪4 PH terror groups link up with pro-ISIS fighters in region‬)

The BIFF broke away from the MILF as it differed with the latter in its demands from the government. – With reports from Bea Cupin, Pia Ranada, Agence France-Presse / Rappler.com</s>MANILA: A hostage drama that unfolded at a primary school in the southern Philippines on Wednesday has been resolved, a military spokesman said, and the Pro-Islamic State militants who had held people captive had withdrawn with no reports of casualties. 



"It's already resolved," Brigadier General Restituto Padilla told reporters. "They've withdrawn, they are no longer there. The school area is again safe."

However, Padilla also said the military was investigating whether five civilians were still being held by the militants. He said no children had been taken hostage.

A police report earlier said about 300 armed men, among them members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), stormed a school in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato province on Mindanao island and were holding some students captive.

Members of the BIFF were engaged in a gunbattle with the military, Chief Inspector Realan Mamon, the police chief at Pigcawayan, said in a radio interview.

"We can confirm that they occupied a school and there were civilians trapped. We are in the process of determining how many were trapped and their identities," Mamon said.

Pigcawayan is 190km south of Marawi City, where BIFF militants, along with fighters from other groups allied to Islamic State, have been holed up and fighting the Philippines military since May 23.

Eliseo Garcesa, mayor of Pigcawayan town, told Philippine radio he was still seeking information about possible casualties.

Philippine aircraft and troops launched a renewed push against the militants in Marawi City on Tuesday and a military spokesman said the aim was to clear the area by the weekend Eid festival, although there was no deadline.</s>MANILA, June 21 (Reuters) - Pro-Islamic State militants stormed a town and occupied a school in the southern Philippines early on Wednesday, a police officer said, on the same island where fighting between government troops and Islamist militants has entered its fifth week.

Members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) were engaged in a gun battle with the military, Chief Inspector Realan Mamon, the police chief of Pigcawayan town, said in a radio interview. The town is in North Cotabato province in the centre of Mindanao island.

Pigcawayan is 190 km (120 miles) south of Marawi City, where BIFF militants, along with fighters from other groups allied to the Islamic State group, have been holed up and fighting the Philippines military for more than a month. (Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; Editing by Paul Tait)</s>Military spokesperson Brigadier General Restituto Padilla says all the hostages, including 12 children, are safe

MANILA, Philippines – The military said it rescued early evening on Wednesday, June 21, up to 31 residents of Pigcawayan, North Cotabato who were taken hostage by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) that morning day. (READ: BIFF attacks North Cotabato villages, holds civilians hostage)

Among them were 12 children, according to military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla. They were rescued past 6 pm or about 12 hours since the bandit group separately attacked a Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) outpost and a Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) detachment before 6 am on Wednesday.

"They (BIFF) withdrew under the cover of darkness. It allowed the rescue of the hostages... They're all safe," said Padilla.

He added that the residents reported at least 4 BIFF fighters were killed in the clashes with the military. Two CAFGUs were wounded in the attack on their detachment in the morning, according to Padilla.

The residents were taken by the BIFF on their way to a school in Barangay Malagakit where they holed up.

The military surrounded the school and sporadic firefights erupted but Padilla said they had to be careful because of the civilians.

The school has been cordoned off to clear the area of improvised explosive devices, added Padilla. – Rappler.com</s>MANILA: Pro-Islamic State militants stormed a school in the southern Philippines early on Wednesday (Jun 21) and are holding several students hostage, police said, on the same island where fighting between government troops and militants has entered its fifth week.

A police report said about 300 armed men, among them members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), stormed a school in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato province on Mindanao island and were holding some students captive.

Members of the BIFF were engaged in a gunbattle with the military, Chief Inspector Realan Mamon, the police chief at Pigcawayan, said in a radio interview.

"We can confirm that they occupied a school and there were civilians trapped. We are in the process of determining how many were trapped and their identities," Mamon said.

Pigcawayan is 190km south of Marawi City, where BIFF militants, along with fighters from other groups allied to Islamic State, have been holed up and fighting the Philippines military since May 23.

Eliseo Garcesa, mayor of Pigcawayan town, told Philippine radio he was still seeking information about possible casualties.

Philippine aircraft and troops launched a renewed push against the militants in Marawi City on Tuesday and a military spokesman said the aim was to clear the area by the weekend Eid festival, although there was no deadline.</s>About 300 pro-ISIS militants on Wednesday stormed a school in the southern Philippines and are holding students hostage, Reuters reported.

 Philippine officials say Muslim rebels are engaging troops in a gunbattle in Pigcawayan town in North Cotabato in an attack that may be an attempt to divert the military’s focus away from the militants who have laid siege on southern Marawi city.

 Police Chief Inspector Realan Mamon tells The Associated Press by telephone that gunmen belonging to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters raided the village of Malagakit in North Cotabato province at dawn Wednesday and engaged government forces in a firefight. Villagers have fled to safety.

 “We can confirm that they occupied a school and there were civilians trapped. We are in the process of determining how many were trapped and their identities,” Mamon told Reuters.

 Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla says the gunmen targeted a patrol base of pro-government militiamen and the attack maybe an effort by the militants to divert troop focus on the Marawi offensive.
Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters rebels storm a school in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, Philippines, and take civilians hostage.