NABALAWAG, SGA-BARMM — Civilians fled their homes in parts of Nabalawag in the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after an armed confrontation involving groups linked to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) erupted early Wednesday, September 16.
The fighting, which was reported in Barangay Olandang and nearby areas, prompted security forces to deploy troops and police personnel as authorities moved to contain the violence and prevent the confrontation from spreading.
Initial reports identified the armed groups as being associated with the 105th Base Command and another MILF base command, although accounts differed on the identity of the other faction, with one initial military report linking the armed individuals to the 118th Base Command.
The exchange of gunfire reportedly began in the early hours of September 16 in Sitio Bentad, Barangay Olandang. The intensity of the shooting alarmed residents, prompting civilians to evacuate toward safer areas.
The incident came only a day after reports of armed tension in Nabalawag had already forced residents to flee their homes.
33IB deploys troops as fighting erupts
The 33rd Infantry Battalion (33IB) of the Philippine Army immediately deployed personnel from its Alpha Company to the affected area to intervene, help de-escalate the situation and maintain peace and order.
Battalion Commander Lt. Col. Germen T. Legada also coordinated with members of the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH), including Ansari Manan and Abusaima, in an effort to stop the armed confrontation.
The 33IB said its troops and additional forces stationed in Nabalawag were placed on heightened alert as authorities monitored the situation and prepared to respond to any further escalation.
The battalion likewise coordinated with local officials and other government agencies, including the Nabalawag municipal government, to help protect residents and prevent renewed fighting.
Mayor Renz Tukuran was also reported to have mobilized assistance for civilians displaced by the violence.
The Philippine Army said its intervention was being carried out in coordination with existing peace mechanisms, underscoring efforts to prevent a local armed confrontation from developing into a wider security problem.
Police officer wounded in separate attack
The situation became more serious after a police officer was wounded when armed men opened fire on a security checkpoint in Barangay Kadingilan, Nabalawag.
The Police Regional Office Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) identified the wounded officer as Pat. Alfadz Umal of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 14-A.
Umal was hit by a bullet in his right thigh while police personnel were conducting security and blocking operations in the area.
According to the police account, officers had established a checkpoint in front of the Kadingilan Barangay Hall as part of security operations and to assist motorists and residents evacuating from areas affected by the earlier fighting.
At around 11:56 a.m., police personnel reportedly heard successive gunshots believed to have come from a high-powered firearm of still-undetermined caliber.
Umal was struck in the right thigh.
Police personnel returned fire toward the suspected direction of the gunfire before withdrawing to the municipal police station after the shooting temporarily stopped.
Umal was brought to a hospital in Midsayap, North Cotabato, for medical treatment.
Authorities subsequently established another checkpoint in front of the Nabalawag Municipal Hall while security and monitoring operations continued.
Police said the gunmen responsible for the attack had not yet been identified.
Residents caught in the middle
Initial information gathered from the area indicated that police personnel had been responding in a patrol vehicle to assist residents fleeing the earlier armed confrontation when they themselves came under fire from unidentified gunmen.
The reports have yet to establish whether the attack on the police checkpoint was directly connected to the earlier fighting between the MILF-linked groups.
Authorities were also cautious about immediately attributing the confrontation to political tensions following the September 14, 2026, first parliamentary elections of the BARMM.
Some initial accounts cited a possible combination of rido, or clan conflict, and political rivalry following the elections as a factor behind the confrontation. These claims, however, remain subject to verification and investigation.
Nabalawag had been classified by the Commission on Elections as an orange election area of concern ahead of the historic BARMM parliamentary elections.
The wider BARMM remained under heightened security following the elections. The PNP had recorded 14 violent incidents during the September 13–14 election period, including incidents in the SGA, although those incidents were reported separately from the latest Nabalawag clashes.
Nearly 12,000 soldiers and CAFGU Active Auxiliary members had also been deployed for BARMM election security, with additional forces from the 10th Infantry Division augmenting operations.
As of Wednesday, authorities continued to monitor Nabalawag, with the military, police, local government and MILF peace mechanisms coordinating efforts to prevent further violence.
The immediate priority remains the safety of civilians who have been displaced by the fighting, the treatment of the wounded police officer, and the restoration of calm in communities that have been shaken by successive armed incidents.
Authorities have yet to provide a final determination on the identities of all armed groups involved, the precise cause of the confrontation, or whether the reported political and clan tensions directly triggered the violence.