ISIS group subleader killed in Philippine military's offensive
He was allegedly subleader of Maute Group.
ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Philippine military has killed five terrorists including the subleader of their group that is aligned with the Islamic State terror group in the southern province of Lanao del Sur.
While conducting decisive military operations, combined elements of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion and 51st Infantry Battalion encountered about five Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-Maute Group) remnants in Tambo village, Piagapo municipality, said the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) in a statement Sunday (Dec. 3).
“The encounter resulted in one enemy killed and the recovery of assorted firearms, other war materials and propaganda materials,” said Westmincom.
“The slain enemy was identified as Alandoni Macadaya Lucsadatu, a.k.a. Lando/Abu Shams, a DI-Maute Group subleader.”
Based on the report from the ground, operating troops also apprehended a certain Saadia Dato Angni, the aunt of Lando. No casualty was reported on the government side.
Lucsadatu, said Westmincom, was a resident of Old Poblacion village, Munai, Lanao del Norte province, and was one of the remaining sub-leaders of the Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group that operates in the Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur boundaries.
“He reportedly conducted recruitment among his relatives in Munai and was also known to be responsible for the killing of a certain Marow Lucsadato Mocsara, alias Abu Anggo/Abdane, a DI-member who surrendered to the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion in Barangay Lindongan, Munai, on November 9, 2023,” said Westmincom.
Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, Commander of Western Mindanao Command, commended the troops of Joint Task Force ZamPeLan for this laudable accomplishment.
“As the year is about to end, we are intensifying our operations to ensure the safety and security of the people during this yuletide season. We are grateful for the support of our stakeholders and the communities that led to our enormous achievements in the campaign against terrorism in our area of operation,” Gonzales said in the statement.
The Maute Group, along with the Abu Sayyaf Group, laid siege on Lanao del Sur’s capital city of Marwi for five months in 2017 - which saw over 1,200 people killed, mostly militants - in their bid to carve out an Islamic State territory in the Southeast Asia region.
Philippine government forces liberated the city in October of that year in the longest urban warfare in the nation’s history.