1 month ago
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A MEMBER of a terrorist group was killed following a couple of clashes that erupted separately in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur Sunday.
In a report, Maj. Orlando Ayllon Jr., public information officer of the Western Mindanao Command, said the slain militia was an operative of the Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) who was killed in Barangay Kalangan.
Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) commander Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete said the first encounter, involving the troops of 8th Scout Ranger Company (8SRC), engaged an undetermined number of DI-MG members around 12:55 p.m. which resulted in a 15-minute exchange of fires.
Another 15-minute firefight ensued a few hours after during a decisive military operation (DMO) in the same barangay. This time, troops of the 44th Infantry Battalion (44IB) confronted around 10 members of DI-MG believed to be under the leadership of alias Usman.
The series of military operations resulted in the death of an unidentified DI-MG member and the recovery of war materiel that include one M16 rifle; one M14 rifle; 32 rounds 5.56mm ammunition; two rifle grenades; five pieces of 7.62mm magazines; eight pieces of M1 Garand clips; three pieces of 5.56mm magazines; one IED circuit indicator and assorted personal items.
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During the clashes, the government troops incurred one wounded personnel who was immediately brought to a hospital for medical intervention.
Lt. Gen. Nafarrete commended the relentless pursuit of the Joint Task Force ZamPelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao provinces) against the radical Islamist groups that attempt to spoil the developing peace in the area.
"Our pursuit against the remaining threats to the peace and security that is already evidently present in our AOR sends a clear message to the militant groups that we will not allow them to rest while innocent lives suffer from the terrors they deliberately inflict," said Nafarrete.
The WestMinCom commander also vehemently calls upon the militant groups to surrender to the folds of the law and live a life free from violence.
"I urge the remaining militants to surrender and make amends for their wrong doings. May mga transformative programs tayo that can help them start anew as law-abiding members of the society," he said.
In December 2024, three members of the same terror group voluntarily yielded to the government amid relentless offensives in Lanao del Sur.
The three individuals, turned themselves in at Barangay Matalin, Malabang, Lanao del Sur.
They also handed over a modified M-14 rifle and two Garand rifles with magazines and ammunition.
