By Edwin Fernandez

(Image courtesy of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region)

COTABATO CITY – Six members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) surrendered to police authorities in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Wednesday, marking a significant step toward peace in the region.

Brig. Gen. Romeo Macapaz, BARMM police regional director, said the surrender of the heavily armed BIFF members under Commander Kagui Karialan was the result of relentless government operations and negotiations.

“This is a significant breakthrough as these individuals have chosen the path to peace and reintegration into mainstream society,” Macapaz said in a statement Thursday.

The BIFF, allied with ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), seeks to establish an Islamic state in Mindanao and has been involved in violent extremism, targeting government forces and civilian communities.

The surrenderers turned in a homemade .50-caliber Barrett sniper rifle, a .30-caliber Garand rifle, an M79 grenade launcher, a homemade rocket-propelled grenade, an Uzi machine pistol, and a 12-gauge shotgun.

Macapaz said authorities will continue monitoring the activities of surrendering BIFF members to ensure they do not return to their former organization. (PNA)