In a significant crackdown on clan warfare, security forces in Mamasapano, Maguindanao del Sur, arrested 47 individuals and confiscated 61 high-powered firearms on Friday. The operation targeted two feuding Moro families embroiled in a long-standing feud known as ‘rido.’ The seized weapons included an array of firearms such as assault rifles, handguns, rifle grenades, hand grenades, homemade .50-caliber sniper rifles, and a 60 mm mortar tube.
The operation, which took place at 1 p.m. in Barangay Pimbalakan, was a response to civilian pleas for intervention to stop the recurring clashes between the families of Badrudin Inda and Zainudin Kiaro. Despite previous peace dialogues and covenant signings facilitated by local government and the Bangsamoro region peace and reconciliation office, the families continued their sporadic skirmishes, causing fear and distress among local residents.
Col. Ricky P. Bunayog, officer in charge of the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade, emphasized the necessity of removing loose firearms from communities to protect civilians and prevent further armed conflicts. He stated that the military would not tolerate any violations of the law or human rights.
Maj. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and acting commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Mindanao Command, urged the feuding parties to resolve their disputes peacefully and legally. Since January, the Army in Maguindanao del Sur has seized over 300 assorted firearms in various law enforcement operations.
Mamasapano is also remembered for the tragic January 25, 2015, firefight that claimed the lives of 44 police commandos, 17 Moro rebels, and several civilians during an operation targeting Malaysian bomb maker and Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli Bin Hir, known as Marwan.