AT least eight Moros were killed while hundreds of residents fled their homes on Tuesday in Maguindanao after fierce fighting broke out between members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), which is headed by breakaway MILF Commander Ameril Umra Kato.

Brig. Gen. Restituto Aguilar, military adviser to the government, said eight MILF and BIFF guerrillas were initially killed during the firefight which began at about 5:30 a.m.

He said that by noon, the BIFF under Commander Carilan Indong, chief of staff of Kato, had already taken the headquarters of the MILF’s 106th Base Command in Datu Piang, Maguindanao, along with several barangays that the latter occupied or controlled.

Kato, formerly a rogue commander of the MILF, broke away from his former group and put up the BIFF, whose members are also former fighters of the MILF. Kato formerly commanded the MILF’s 105th Base Command.

Aguilar said the fighting began after Indong and his men attacked the positions of the MILF’s 106th Base Command under Commander Adzmie Kasim at barangays Nimao, Balanaken and Leong, all in Datu Piang.               

Aguilar said the gun battles were caused by the “rido” or clan war between the two groups.