SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao-The mutilated bodies of two out of three off-duty soldiers who were abducted by gunmen belonging to the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), were recovered by government forces late afternoon on Monday, August 6.

Lt Col. Kit Teofilo, the Commanding Officer of the 68th Infantry Battalion said that the cadavers of the late Pfc Dunhill Aragon and Pfc Henry Caunga were found by the responding troops along the Isulan-Cotabato highway here.

"The face of one soldier was mangled beyond recognition before he was shot in the head. The other had torture marks all over his body including hack wounds. It was a horrible crime committed by heartless individuals," said Teofilo, the immediate superior of the two slain soldiers.

Two other unidentified male victims were also recovered along with the two dead soldiers. The cadavers were brought to Piad Funeral Homes in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat at around 6pm (Aug 6).

Teofilo said that his soldiers were travelling on board a motorcycle towards Cotabato City to withdraw money, when they were stopped by heavily armed men after passing Shariff Aguak town.

They were declared missing when they were not able to make it to their destination in the morning of Monday.

Another soldier, Sgt Sonny Estabillo of the 38th Infantry Battalion, was also snatched by gunmen belonging to the same rebel group while travelling in the same route towards Cotabato City.

Soldiers are now combing the outskirts of Datu Unsay and Datu Saudi Ampatuan towns to locate the missing soldier.

Sporadic gunfire still occurs in some areas where Kato's men are conducting harrassments and sniping against dismounted troops.

The Army has condemned the summary executions perpetrated by followers of Ameril Umbra Kato, the leader of the breakaway group of former MILF fighters now known as the BIFF.