Six Philippine soldiers, three ISIS terrorists killed in Mindanao clashes
Army-Maute Group firefights occur in Lanao del Norte province.
LANAO DEL NORTE: Six soldiers and three alleged terrorists were killed in a series of encounters between the Philippine military and a local Islamic State terror group in the southern province of Lanao del Norte on Sunday (Feb. 18), said the Army.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Roy M. Galido, in a statement Monday (Feb. 19), said the clashes with the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) occurred in Ramain village, Munai municipality.
Members of the elite special operations Scout Platoon of 44th Infantry Battalion of the 1st infantry Division were conducting a decisive military operation against the Maute Group in Barangay when they encountered fifteen Maute Group members under led by Mas’od, an alias, according to a news report.
Dawlah Islamiyah is the umbrella term to refer to local terror groups aligned with the Islamic State. It means Islamic State in Arabic.
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“Four other wounded soldiers who played crucial roles in the operation against the DI-MG terrorists are now recovering at the local hospitals and will be transferred immediately to Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Patag, Cagayan de Oro City,” said Galido.
“The Philippine Army remains relentless in attaining our goal of crushing the remaining DI-MG terrorists. The safety and security of our people are paramount and we will exert all efforts in ensuring that our communities are free from the threat of terrorism.”
The unfortunate event illustrated a crucial point in a SEA MILITANCY exclusive published also on Sunday that at least about two dozen DI-MG members remained and an identified leader was still at large.
In a separate statement Monday, the Army’s 1st Infantry Division said at least three Maute Group members were killed in the clashes with one of the bodies recovered.
Numerous war materiel were recovered including one M16 rifle, an M14 rifle and a M203 grenade launcher.
Philippine defence and security forces have been on an intensified manhunt for the Maute Group after the terror outfit bombed a Catholic Mass held inside a gym at Mindanao State University in Lanao del Sur’s provincial capital city of Marawi on Dec. 3, 2023.
The remotely detonated bomb killed four people and injured dozens others.
In January, nine members of the group including the bombing mastermind were slain in a series of firefights with the Philippine Army.
The Maute Group along with the Abu Sayyaf Group laid siege on Marawi City in 2017 in an attempt to carve out territory for the Islamic State in the region.
A five-month fierce urban battle ensued before government forces liberated the city in October of that year.