ILIGAN CITY – The leader of a criminal syndicate linked to the Dawlah Islamiyah terror group and four of his followers were killed in a clash with government troops in Lanao del Norte on Wednesday, Oct. 23.
The military said the encounter occurred in Barangay Banko, Sultan Naga Dimaporo as the police and military served arrest warrants against the group led by Uya Dama.
Gunmen opened fire, triggering a 30-minute firefight in which two suspects were captured and wounded and three M-16 rifles, two grenades, and other weapons were recovered.
1st Infantry (Tabak) Division chief Major Gen. Gabriel Viray said that the suspects had warrants of arrest for murder, grave threat, and illegal detention.
Viray said the suspects came from Zamboanga Sibugay but transferred to Sultan Naga Dimaporo due to focused military operations.
He said the suspects apparently has ties to the Abu Sayyaf Group and the DI operating in Central Mindanao.
Viray said the suspects are not linked to the kidnapping of American Elliot Onil Eastman due to the distance between Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, where the abduction occurred, and the suspects.
"But we cannot discount the possibility kung sakaling magpasapasa (if they pass him around) and they are usually the ones who are facilitating pero proximity wise medyo malayo sila doon sa Sibuco (they are far from Sibuco)."