In this file photo dated May 4, 2022, members of the Philippine military and police services attend a ceremonial send-off as they are deployed for security duty ahead of the May 9 presidential election, at Camp Crame in Quezon City, suburban Manila. (PHOTO / AFP)

MANILA — Philippine security forces have killed seven alleged members of an armed group in a clash in the southern Philippines, the military said on Monday.

In a report, the military said fighting broke out early Sunday morning when a joint team of troops and police officers went to serve an arrest warrant at a hideout of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Datu Paglas town in Maguindanao del Sur province.

The BIFF allegedly fired upon the law enforcers, resulting in a shootout that killed seven BIFF suspects and wounded a police officer

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The BIFF allegedly fired upon the law enforcers, resulting in a shootout that killed seven BIFF suspects and wounded a police officer.

According to the report, the government forces seized firearms and ammunition, including M16 rifles and pistols, in the wake of the clash.

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The BIFF, a small armed group aligned with the Islamic State group, is blamed for bombings and other atrocities in the Central Mindanao region in the southern Philippines. The group broke off from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front when the latter agreed to negotiate a peace pact with the government in 2014.