COTABATO CITY – Eight pro-ISIS militants have surrendered to the military in southern Philippines where security forces are hunting down extremist groups blamed for the spate of terrorism in the troubled region.
Captain Clint Antipala, a spokesman for the 1st infantry Division, said 7 militants, who were fighters of the Maute Group, surrendered Thursday afternoon in the town of Lumbaca Unayan and the other one Butig town in Lanao del Sur, one of 5 provinces under the Muslim autonomous region.
He said the militants surrendered to Lt. Col. Ian Noel Ignes, commander of the 55th Infantry Battalion. “They also surrendered two M16 and one M14 rifles, one UZI sub-machinegun and two .45-caliber and one 9mm pistols,” Antipala said.
The militants are currently being interrogated by soldiers.
Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, the division commander, said the continuous surrender of Mautes entails weakening of their organizational leadership and capabilities. “We encourage others to lay down their arms and live peacefully. We will continuously work together with stakeholders in order to attract more Maute and pro-ISIS groups to surrender,” he said.
The Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf occupied Marawi, the capital of Lanao del Sur, last year and declared the city as a province of ISIS, and deadly fighting between them and soldiers lasted 5 months and left the whole city in ruins with residents fleeing to nearby areas to escape the war. (Mindanao Examiner)
20
