COTABATO CITY – Police and military forces clashed Thursday with three ISIS supporters and killed all of them in Lanao del Norte province in southern Philippines, officials said.
Army Brigadier General William Alunday, commander of an anti-terror task group, said the trio opened fire on security forces out to arrest them in Lumba Punud village in the town of Pantar. “The joint law enforcement operations of military and police neutralized the notorious Maute-ISIS remnants in Lanao del Norte early this morning,” he said and tagging those killed as “terrorists.”
One of the slain militants had been identified as Omar Daiser, a known drug pusher who escaped from prison and joined ISIS in May following the siege of Marawi City. Daiser was also a follower of former Marawi mayor Solitario Ali who is also being accused by authorities as involved in illegal drug trade.
“Daiser had a standing warrant of arrest for the crime of robbery with homicide issued by the Marawi City Regional Trial Court. He was known to be an illegal drug user and pusher and a follower of Solitario Ali, former Mayor of Marawi City, who is involved in illegal drug trade,” Alunday said.
He said troops recovered the bodies of the slain militants, including their weapons – four M16 automatic rifles, one M203 grenade launcher, one FAL automatic rifle, one police Beretta 9mm pistol and assorted ammunition and bandoleers. The cadavers were claimed by Bokari Abdulgani, a town council member.
Army Major General Roseller Murillo, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said “government forces will continue to intensify its internal security operations to neutralize the remnants of terrorist groups in Marawi.” (Mindanao Examiner)
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