Philippine troops kill suspected militant in clash

MANILA: Philippine troops have killed a suspected militant in a clash in Maguindanao del Sur province in the southern Philippines, the Philippine Army said on Sunday.

 In a report, the Army said that the alleged Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) militant was killed early Saturday morning after a five-minute clash in the village in Datu Salibo town following information from the villagers about the militants' presence in the area, Xinhua news agency reported.

Troops seized a 45 calibre pistol and explosives from the clashed site, read the report.

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.