ISIS owns up daring prison raid

MARAWI CITY – The Islamic State in Syria and Iraq (ISIS) has claimed responsibility for the daring raid on the provincial jail here that freed 30 prisoners, including 8 members and their wives.

“Fighters from Islamic State stormed a prison in Marawi City in Philippines last week, south of the country, and were able to free 30 prisoners and seizing weapons,” Amaq news agency reported.

It added that “30 fighters carried out the attack and were able to release 30 detainees, including fighters from the Islamic State and their wives. The fighters of the attack and all the detainees, who were freed, arrived to safe places without injuries.”

On August 27, suspected members of the Khilafah Islamiyah Movement (KIM), joined by Butig-based jihadists in Lanao del Sur, stormed the prison and authorities said the escapees included 8 detained jihadists.

All escaped jihadists have been identified by authorities as Hashim Balawag Maute, Abdul Jabbar Tominaman Macabading, Jamil Batoa Amerul, Muhammad Sianodin Mulok and Omar Khalil; and Hafidah Romato Maute, Norhanna Balawag Maute, who are sisters of the Maute group leaders Abdullah and Omar Maute; and Nasifa Pundug believed to be wife of a senior KIM member. They are all members of the Islamic State Ranao.

Security forces arrested the jihadists on August 22 after stopping their van at a road block in Lumbayanague town near the town of Butig while attempting to transport improvised explosives and weapons. They also admitted during interrogation that they were on a mission to bomb civilian targets in the cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro.

Both KIM and Maute group pledged allegiance to the ISIS.

Members of the Khilafah Islamiyah Movement and its shadowy group Ghuraba (strangers) train their fighters in Lanao del Sur province in the Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao in this screen shot from the propaganda video of Islamic State in the...