ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA) – A member of the Dawlah Islamiya (DI) terrorist group was killed in an encounter while another surrendered in Lanao del Sur, military official said Thursday, May 6.
Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, 103rd Infantry Brigade commander, said they have yet to establish the identity of the slain DI member killed in a clash around 3 p.m. Wednesday in Barangay Kalungnan, Piagapo, Lanao del Sur.
“While our troops were scouring the clash site, they recovered the enemy cadaver. It will be subjected to an examination to verify the identity of the slain Dawlah Islamiyah/Maute Group member,” Cuerpo said.
Cuerpo said the troops also recovered an M-16 Armalite rifle at the clash site.
Cuerpo said a separate 49-minute firefight ensued on the same day in Barangay Kalungnan as the pursuing troops caught the fleeing DI members, prompting them to scamper in different directions.
He said the troops recovered war materiel, including improvised bomb-making components such as ammonium nitrate and two polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipes.
Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), identified the DI surrenderer as Mahid Dima Pasalawan, who surrendered to the 103rd Infantry Brigade troopers around 12:10 p.m. Wednesday in Barangay Bobo, Piagapo.
Pasalawan, 22, turned over a Garand rifle and ammunition, Vinluan said, adding that the surrenderer admitted his involvement in the Battle of Marawi in 2017 and went into hiding after the conflict.
“The subject has no standing warrant of arrest and he is currently undergoing custodial debriefing for us to be able to gather more information about him, his previous activities, and the group,” Cuerpo said.