COTABATO CITY (Tuesday, August 26, 2025) — Another large group of combined members of the now weakened Dawlah Islamiya and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters surrendered to an Army unit in Datu Piang in Maguindanao del Sur on Monday, August 25.

The 23 Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members, seven of them experts in fabrication of improvised explosive devices, renounced their membership with both terror groups during a symbolic surrender rite at the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Battalion in Datu Piang town in Maguindanao del Sur.

They first turned in their combat rifles, B40 anti-tank launchers, .50 caliber long-range bolt-action sniper rifles, 40 millimeter grenade launchers and an 81 millimeter mortar to officials of the 6th IB, led by Lt. Col. Al Victor Burkley, and Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade, before they pledge allegiance to the government in the presence of local executives.

Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of the 6th Infantry Division, told reporters on Tuesday, August 26, that the 23 terrorists agreed to return to the fold of law through the intercession of Mr. Burkley, Mr. Catu and local executives in different towns in Maguindanao del Sur, one of the five provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Former Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF commanders who had surrendered earlier were also instrumental in convincing them to yield peacefully for them to get reintroduced to mainstream society and avail of livelihood support from different government agencies supporting 6th ID’s regional reconciliation program for violent religious extremists.

“We are thankful to all who helped work out the surrender of this group,” Gumiran said.

The Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF are both known for fomenting hatred for non-Muslims and are also tagged in all deadly bombings since 2014 of buses and business establishments after owners had refused to shell out “protection money” on a periodic basis.

Units of the 6th ID deployed in Central Mindanao provinces and cities had secured the surrender, via backchannel dialogues, of 923 Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members since January this year.

Photo shows Catu, who has jurisdiction over Army units in Maguindanao del Sur, holding .50 caliber bolt-action sniper rifle of one of the leaders of the 23 terrorists who surrendered to the 6th IB last Monday.