Rebel Freedom Fighters

Lore & Background

The BIFF was formed in December 2010 by Ameril Umbra Kato after he broke with the MILF in 2008, disagreeing with the MILF's acceptance of autonomy rather than full independence. In 2008, after the Philippine Supreme Court nullified the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain, Kato led a contingent of MILF fighters in an attack against civilians. Kato claimed to have 5,000 fighters, but the government said he had only 300. It was not until August 2011 that the MILF recognized the break and declared the BIFF a 'lost command'.

The BIFF rejected the 2012 Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and vowed to continue their fight. In January 2014, after the final annexes were signed, the Armed Forces of the Philippines launched Operation Darkhorse, capturing the BIFF's main camp in Barangay Ganta, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur, which reportedly had 500 fighters. On February 4, 2014, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) commander Habib Mujahab Hashim confirmed reports that the BIFF had forged an alliance with his group.

Reader's Guide

The BIFF is an Islamist jihadist militant organization based in Mindanao, mostly active in Maguindanao del Sur and other places in central Mindanao. It is a breakaway group from the MILF founded by Ameril Umbra Kato. After Kato's death, the group split into three factions: one aligned with the Islamic State (led by Abu Toraife), and two less radical factions (led by Ismael Abubakar and Ustadz Karialan). Key engagements include Operation Darkhorse (2014), the Mamasapano clash (2015), and the Marawi crisis (2017).

The BIFF may have participated in the Battle of Marawi; the Philippine military stated in May 2017 that BIFF fighters were among the jihadists in the city, and Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana claimed in June 2017 that about 40 fighters took part. However, a BIFF spokesman stated in June 2017 that BIFF operations were unrelated to the battle, and MILF leader Murad Ebrahim claimed in July 2018 that BIFF had not participated. After the rebels in Marawi were defeated, many foreign volunteers and ex-members of the Maute group joined BIFF, temporarily boosting its strength.

By 2020, BIFF activities declined as factions came under pressure. On 22 April 2024, a shootout in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur, killed Kagui Karialan (leader of the Karialan faction), his brother Saga, and ten other gunmen. In March 2024, Abu Halil, the training officer of the BIFF-Karialan faction, was also killed.