Four Isis terrorists, two soldiers wounded in southern Philippine firefight

Terrorists from a pro-Islamic State group.

Firefight occurred when Army troops were checking sightings of gunmen. Pictured is a soldier in training. (Philippine Army pic)

MAGUINDANAO DEL SUR: Four members of a pro-Islamic State Filipino terror group and two soldiers were injured in a firefight in the southern province of Maguindanao del Sur on Tuesday (Oct. 17), it has been reported.

Maj. Gen. Alex Rillera, the 6th Infantry Division commander, said the clash occurred when personnel of the 40th Infantry Battalion, who were dispatched to check the reported presence of gunmen collecting money and rice from farmers in Datu Hoffer municipality, were fired at, PhilStar reported.

Privates First Class Anthony Felomino and Aineer Magayan were injured during the clash and taken to the Maguindanao del Sur Provincial Hospital in Shariff Aguak town for treatment.

Three of the wounded Dawlah Islamiya members were identified only as Salim, Tasil and Muntasir, all of whom managed to get away despite their injuries.

The four are relatives of slain Dawlah Islamiya leaders Abdulkarim Hashim and Danny Cabakunan, who were tagged in ambushes and bus bombings, the report said.

Hashim and Cabakunan were killed in a shootout with government troops at a public bus terminal in Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province in January.

Dawlah Islamiya, originally known as the Maute Group, laid siege on Sultan Kudarat’s capital city of Marawi in 2017, resulting in the nation’s longest urban battle that took more than 1,200 lives, mostly militants’.

Government troops liberated the city after a five-month battle that saw the killing of two siege leaders, including the Maute Group’s leader, Omar Maute, towards the end of October of that year.