NINE members of the Dawlah Islamiya-Maute Group (DI-MG) were arrested while two others escaped during a police operation in the province of Lanao del Sur, a military official said Saturday, May 29, 2021.
Lieutenant General Corleto Vinluan, Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the shootout ensued as the DI terrorists opened fire when the troops swooped down their hideout around 1:20 a.m. Saturday in Paigoay, Tubaran, Lanao del Sur.
Vinluan said the joint military and police team returned fire and subdued the suspects.
However, Vinluan said that the subjects of the law enforcement operation, Farahufon Hadji Satar, who carries the aliases of Abu Zacaria and Abu Omar, and Muna kali alias Abu Dinam, managed to escape. They have standing warrants of arrest for murder and attempted murder.
Brigadier General Jose Maria Cuerpo, II, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade, identified the arrested cohorts of Satar and Kali as the following: Camaroden Tindug, 52; Sabdullah Sarip, 36; Oter Macaungun, 35; Asnare Alisood, 20; Alisood Dima, 52; Sowaib Abdullah, 18; Saaduden Adapun, 30; Zaenal Abdulatip, 33; and, Aleem Salih Pitiilan, 45.
Cuerpo said the troops recovered from the arrested DI members the following: two M-16 Armalite rifles; three M-16 magazines with live ammunition; one carbine; two caliber .45 pistols; two base radio transceivers; six portable radio transceivers; six touch sreen cellular phones; seven keypad cellular phones; one laptop; two flask drives; one improvised explosive device; wallet and P1,900 cash and other items.
“We continue to intensify our operations to hunt and pound the remaining DI-MG members in our area of operation,” said Major General Generoso Ponio, Joint Task Force (JTF)-ZamPeLan commander.
Since January, the JTF ZamPeLan neutralized a total of 18 DI-MG members, two of which were killed, seven surrendered, and nine were apprehended.
“Congratulations to the troops of JTF-ZamPeLan for your remarkable successes. Carry on your good work for the people and our country,” Vinluan said. (SunStar Zamboanga)