COTABATO CITY โ In a bid to prove they are still a force to be reckoned with, remnants of two extremist groups launched a grenade attack in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, on Saturday, March 15, injuring four soldiers.
Local officials say the attack was the handiwork of a dwindling band of terrorists struggling to remain relevant after 516 of their comrades surrendered in recent years. The mass defections, which began in 2020, have seen former fighters lay down their arms and reintegrate into society through the Armyโs 6th Infantry Division and the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Explosion Rocks Military Detachment
The explosion rocked a roadside military detachment in Barangay Madia. Authorities tagged the members of the Dawlah Islamiya and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) as responsible for the attack.
Emergency responders brought the four injured soldiers, all from the 6th Mechanized Infantry Battalion, to a hospital.
โThe attack was clearly an act of desperation,โ said Lt. Col. Roden Orbon, spokesperson of the Armyโs 6th Infantry Division. โThese groups are losing members rapidly, and they are trying to make it seem like they still have strength.โ
Just a day before the bombing, on March 14, sixteen extremistsโincluding three high-profile membersโsurrendered to authorities in a symbolic ceremony in Barangay Buayan, Datu Piang. The defectors revealed that their former comrades had threatened them against leaving, even warning of attacks to counter the growing public perception that their groups were crumbling.
Among the latest surrenderers were Halim Mohammad Samsudin, Muktar Edris Musin, and Elih Omar Odin. They disclosed that their leaders had attempted to prevent their defection, fearing it would further weaken their already shrinking ranks.
Blow to Extremist Groups
In another blow to the extremist groups, five skilled bomb-makers renounced their ties to Dawlah Islamiya just days earlier. They surrendered to the Armyโs 90th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Kabengi, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, on March 11, in front of military officials and local leaders who had played a key role in convincing them to abandon extremism.
A local official, who requested anonymity for security reasons, confirmed that the recent spike in attacks was an attempt by the remaining fighters to shift public perception.
The people are aware that these groups are no longer as strong like before, the official said. โThis attack was an effort to counter that reality.โ
Despite the sporadic violence, security forces remain confident that the surrender of hundreds of extremists marks a turning point in the fight against terrorism in Maguindanao. For those still clinging to their radical cause, time may be running out.
