2 Maute men gunned down

DAVAO CITY – Two alleged members of the Maute Group recognized Dawlah Islamiya were killed while trying to elude arrest Monday in Davao del Sur.

The Davao del Sur Police Provincial Office (DSPPO) identified the alleged terrorists as Norhan Delangalen Sinapan and his brother Norton Delangalen Sinapan, the reported leader of Dawlah Islamiya, Digos cell.

Police operatives led by DSPPO provincial director Sr. Supt. Ferlu Silvio were about to serve the search warrant on the Sinapan brothers in Barangay Aplaya, Hagonoy, Davao del Sur at about 6:00 a.m. yesterday when the suspects allegedly fired at them. A brief gunfight ensued.

He said Norhan was instantly killed while Norton, the suspected leader of Dawlah Islamiya's sleeper cell in the province, died while being rushed to a hospital.

"It was a court-backed operation," Silvio said.

Recovered from the crime scene were two ISIS flags, Cal 45.pistol loaded with six ammunition, three fired cartridge cases, a fired cartridge case of 9mm, two pieces of fragmentation grenade and improvised explosive device (IED) components.

The operating team was composed of DSPPO, Davao del Sur Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), Explosive Ordnance Division Team and Regional Intelligence Unit 11 (RIU 11) and the Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).

Silvio said Dawlah Islamiya is not an ISIS affiliate although it had pledged allegiance to the terror group.

Silvio said Dawlah had planned to set off bombs in several key cities in central and southern Mindanao regions.