SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao del Sur — An 11-year-old boy was killed while a 23-year-old man was wounded after they were hit by stray bullets during an armed clash between two groups associated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, authorities said Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
The fighting, which began Tuesday night, September 29, in Sitio Mungkas, Barangay Malingap, continued into Wednesday morning before a ceasefire intervention succeeded in stopping the exchange of gunfire at around 9 a.m.
Shariff Aguak Municipal Police Station chief Major Joel Lebrilla identified the fatality as an 11-year-old boy known by the alias Mohamidin. The wounded victim was identified as 23-year-old alias Aswad, who remained under medical treatment at a hospital.
Authorities said the two were caught in the violence as fighting erupted between the group of Bro. Abid, reportedly under the MILF’s 105th Base Command, and the group of Samad Simpal, reportedly under the 118th Base Command.
The armed confrontation prompted hundreds of families to leave their homes as tensions spread through affected communities.
329 Families Forced to Flee
According to Shariff Aguak Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) head Montaser Saliao, a total of 329 families had been affected and displaced by the fighting and heightened security concerns.
The displaced families came from several barangays:
- 241 families from Barangay Lapok;
- 88 families from Barangay Bialong; and
- five families from Barangay Malingao, who later proceeded to Barangay Bialong.
Saliao said many of the displaced residents were not staying inside formal evacuation centers. Some were temporarily sheltering along roadsides, while others were staying with relatives.
As of Wednesday, authorities had not yet issued an advisory allowing the affected residents to return to their homes.
Despite the intensity of the fighting, the MDRRMO reported that no houses, schools or other facilities had been reported damaged in the exchange of gunfire.
The continuing concern, however, is the possibility of renewed tension or another armed confrontation, prompting authorities to maintain monitoring and security measures in the affected areas.
Ceasefire Intervention Stops Fighting
The Peace Security and Reconciliation Office of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PSRO-BARMM), the MILF Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Provincial Reunification Council of Maguindanao del Sur intervened to facilitate conflict disengagement and a ceasefire between the two groups.
The intervention eventually resulted in the cessation of hostilities at around 9 a.m. on September 30.
Following the ceasefire, the intervention team continued coordination with the 34th Infantry Battalion (34th IB) of the Philippine Army.
As a preventive security measure, the 34th IB deployed personnel in Barangay Bialong to help monitor the movement of the groups involved, prevent renewed fighting and provide security to affected communities.
The intervention was aimed at sustaining the ceasefire, preventing further escalation, protecting civilians and creating conditions for continued dialogue and a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides.
Authorities later reported that no further gunfire had been recorded in the area following the intervention.
Vice Mayor Visits Evacuees
Shariff Aguak Vice Mayor Hadji Omping Ampatuan also went to an evacuation center to personally check on residents who were forced to flee because of the conflict.
Ampatuan expressed concern over the impact of the violence on civilians, particularly children, women and elderly residents who were displaced by the fighting.
He said the MILF-CCCH, Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and barangay officials were continuing to coordinate efforts to address the needs of displaced families and prevent the situation from escalating.
The vice mayor also said the tension between the two groups had been brought under control and that authorities were working toward creating conditions that would allow displaced residents to return home as soon as it is considered safe.
For now, authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as security and peace mechanisms work to keep the ceasefire in place and prevent another outbreak of violence.
The death of the 11-year-old boy underscores the immediate civilian cost of the confrontation, while the displacement of hundreds of families highlights the broader impact of armed tensions on communities in Shariff Aguak.