Security heightened in Mindanao
ZAMBOANGA CITY: The Philippine military heightened its security in the restive island of Mindanao following fresh threats of attacks from pro-IS militants, who are blamed by authorities for the series of bombings and killings in the South.
The threats were made following the recent capture of four young fighters of the local IS group called Dawlah Islamiya (DI) — Arabic words for Islamic State — in Lanao del Sur in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Security officials said intelligence provided by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led to the capture of the DI fighters in Pabrika village in the town of Marugong on May 25.
The MILF, in a rare operation, joined forces with the government in capturing the DI fighters. But the threats of attacks in retaliation for the arrest of the four young men sparked an exodus of civilians in the town. The capture was announced only recently.
It was unknown whether the military delayed the release of the information to the press due to continuing operation between the army and the MILF against the DI, or the ongoing interrogation of the captured Islamists. Two of the captured Islamists were 18 years old and the other pair, 14 and 16 years old.
One of the fighters, Saidi, is the younger brother of DI subleader known by his nom de guerre Abu Sham, according to Maj. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, the commander of the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan.
“The troops of the 32nd Infantry Battalion acted on information from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front members under Ismail Cosain regarding the presence of unidentified armed men in Barangay Pabrika, Marugong, Lanao del Sur. While moving towards the target area, operating troops, composed of a platoon of soldiers and five MILF members, sighted a group of armed men. Sensing the presence of the government forces, the armed men scampered in different directions, prompting the troops to execute a hasty raid,” Nafarrete said.
He said the four DI fighters are all under Juhari Sandab, whose group is operating in the province. “Accordingly, they were waiting for supplies and foodstuff coming from their supporters in the area,” the officer said. He added that the soldiers also seized weapons and explosives from the four fighters.
Among the seized weapons were one M14 rifle, one M16A1 rifle, one Remington R4 rifle, one M1903 Springfield rifle, M203 grenade launcher and five 40mm grenades, including five improvised explosives and assorted magazines and ammunition.
Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, commended Nafarrete for the capture of the four fighters and cited “the good relationship between the MILF and the military in the area, which resulted in the successful operation.”
The MILF signed a peace deal with the government in 2014. But despite the accord, the members of the former rebel group are still heavily armed and continue to maintain dozens of strongholds in the region. The DI considers the MILF a rival and branded its members as “apostate Moro militia” and declared a total war with them.
The Middle East, Iran, South Asia, and North and West Africa reported that members of the “Islamic State East Asia Province” (ISEAP) claimed responsibility for the May 13 attack against MILF positions with machine guns in the village of Tuayan in Datu Hoffer Ampatuan town in the neighboring province of Maguindanao. This caused the MILF members to flee. ISEAP fighters also burned the MILF positions and seized an anti-tank rocket launcher.