Philippine police kill two Daeshlinked terrorist brothers

DAVAO CITY ( the Philippines): The police shot and killed two brothers, suspected to be members of a local cell of the Daesh group of terrorists in the southern Philippines late Sunday, authorities yesterday said.

According to Xinhua news agency, Senior Superintendent Ferlu Silvio, the provincial police chief for Davao del Sur police, identified the slain suspects as Norhan Delangalen Sinapan and brother, Norton Delangalen Sinapan.

He said Norhan was the leader of a Daesh cell known as Dawlah Islamiyah based at the city of Digos in Davao del Sur province.

Silvio said the operation against the brothers was carried by combined police units, who swooped on their hideout at a seaside community at 11pm local time.

Seized from the slain suspects were a handgun, several rounds of ammunition, a component for an improvised bomb, a fragmentation grenade and two black flags with Daesh markings, the police official said.

The southern Philippines has been on alert following reports that terrorists who swore allegiance to the terror network had regrouped after they were routed and expelled by Philippine troops from Marawi City late last year after five months of heavy fighting.

A series of bombings in the southern Philippine town of Isulan last August and September that killed four people and wounded scores of others were blamed on local Daesh- affiliated extremists. — Bernama