Ranking Filipino terrorist killed in Mindanao clash
Terrorist opens fire on Army troops inspecting terror group's hideout.
COTABATO CITY: An alleged senior member of a local Filipino terror group was killed while his father was detained in an encounter with the Philippine Army in the southern province of Maguindanao del Sur on Monday, it has been reported.
Lt. Col. Udgie Villan of the Army’s 33 Infantry Battalion (33IB) identified the slain Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) suspected member as Mohammad Nanding, who died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds sustained in the early morning clash in Mamasapano district, PhilStar reported.
Soldiers killed long-wanted Mohammad when he opened fire at one of the two Army teams approaching their hideout in Pidsandawan village to check on villagers’ reports about the presence of gunmen in the area, forcibly collecting money and food from hapless farmers.
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Mohammad’s father, Mah Nanding, surrendered peacefully after the firefight.
Soldiers recovered a 5.56 M653 assault rifle, a knife and a binocular from besides Mohammad’s body.
The 33IB troops immediately turned over Mah to the Radjah Buayan Municipal Police Station in nearby Radjah Buayan town for further action.
He and his slain son were both wanted for multiple murder, arson and extortion cases pending in different courts, PhilStar reported further.
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Mohammad was a longtime member of the BIFF while his father was a municipal subleader of the group, which has a reputation for attacking business establishments and bombing buses if owners refuse to give money, the report said.
In another report, Mohammad was reported killed in a similar encounter about six years ago and Monday’s clash occurred with 15 BIFF men.
Which BIFF faction the duo were members of was not reported. Some factions were reported to be aligned with the Islamic State, the Middle East terror group also known as ISIS, ISIL and Daesh.
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Clashes between terror groups and government troops as well as government militias have been escalating since last year in Mindanao which saw the killing of scores of terrorists and six Army troops recently.
In December last year, four people were killed and dozens of others injured in a bombing attack by a pro-Islamic State terror group on a Catholic mass held at a university in Lanao del Sur province.
The Philippine military chief has vowed continuous whole-of society efforts to eradicate terror groups and urged remaining terrorists to surrender and take advantage of various government reintegration and livelihood programmes available for surrendered militants.
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