ILIGAN CITY – Three members of the lawless Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) were killed and three others were captured in a clash with government troops in Lanao del Sur, the military said Sunday.
ARMY 1st Infantry Division FB
Brig. Gen. Billy dela Rosa, 103rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the gunbattle erupted while troops were serving warrants of arrest against DI-MG members on Saturday in Barangay Lamin, Lumbayanague, Lanao del Sur.
“The DI-MG members, upon sensing the presence of the troops, opened fire, triggering a firefight,” Dela Rosa said in a statement.
Three DI-MG members were captured, while several others fled in various directions, he added.
Dela Rosa said several members of the group have pending warrants of arrest for murder and multiple counts of homicide. He did not elaborate.
A trooper from the 5th Infantry Battalion was wounded and taken to a hospital.
Recovered by soldiers from the encounter site were an M16 rifle, an M4 rifle, an M79 grenade launcher, a rocket-propelled grenade, hand grenades, blasting caps, ammunition, and two flags of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Major Gen. Yegor Rey Barroquillo Jr., commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said troops, working alongside the police, will continue their relentless pursuit of the remaining DI-MG members in the province.
“We will not allow these terrorist elements to threaten (the) peace and stability of Lanao del Sur,” Barroquillo said, urging DI-MG remnants to surrender and live peacefully with loved ones. (with a report from PNA)