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Police maneuvering forces in central Mindanao are in pursuit of a group of armed men who staged a two-hour riot in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, on Thursday night.
The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), General Debold Sinas, alerted the PNP Special Action Force about possible tactical support to the ongoing pursuit operations by the Regional Police Office in the Region Bangsamoro Autonomous.
The PNP Command Center monitored a report according to which some 50 armed men believed to be led by a certain Sala and Commander Karialan harassed the Datu Piang City Hall, the Municipal Police Station and the St. Teresita Catholic Church. 9:25 pm on Thursday.
Initial reports said the gunmen were believed to be affiliated with Dawlah Islamiya and a dissident faction of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF).
A PNP patrol was set on fire in the attack and no major damage to surrounding structures was reported. The gunmen fled minutes before midnight when reinforcement troops arrived, the report revealed. No casualties were reported.
“The police will bring criminal charges against the terrorists responsible for the attack and burning of our patrol as we assure the residents of Datu Piang that security measures will be intensified to prevent similar threats posed by violent extremists in the future,” Sinas said .
