Raging offensives in Sulu, Maguindanao kill 22 IS-affiliated terrorists–military

AT least 22 terrorists affiliated with the international terrorist group Islamic State (IS) were killed in ongoing offensive operations in the provinces of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, the military reported on Tuesday.

Among those who were reportedly killed were Mauiyah, a Singaporean reputed to be the only remaining leader of the regional terror group Jemaah Islamiyah still in the country, and Salahudin Hassan, alias Abu Toraife, leader of one of two factions of the Bangsamoro Islamic Liberation Front that have pledged allegiance to the IS.

“The operation is continuing. Our last encounter was midnight last [Monday] night and we have inflicted more casualties from the side of the enemy with the bodies shredded into pieces that is why we could

not officially come up with the exact body count,” said Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.

“But we have some reports that some of those who [were] killed in yesterday’s [Monday] encounter until midnight last [Monday] night already reached almost 20, and some of them are high value targets or high value individuals, meaning commanders and sub-commanders that include Salahudin Hassan, Mauiyah and Commander Bastardo,” the Army official added.

The intense operation against the group of the terrorist leaders by about 200 troops began at around noon on Sunday at Barangay Inaladan, Shriff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao, with Air Force planes, bombers and gunships dropping bombs and striking the terrorists’ formation with rockets.

The bandits who were in the group of up to 120 fighters during the initial assault were also pounded with heavy firepower, such as howitzers and mortars before ground troops moved in and engaged them in skirmishes that intermittently raged all day, according to Sobejana.

“It started with a bomb run followed by rockets from our MG-520 [helicopters] and then indirect fires from our howitzers before we did the ground maneuvers that resulted in multiple encounters,” said Sobejana, wherein initially, two bandits were killed along with one soldier.

However, the casualties from the group of Mauiyah and Hassan built up as the military sustained its air and ground assault up to Monday evening, with the Singaporean and Hassan reportedly among those killed.

As of Tuesday, the soldiers have already partially controlled the area, which, along with the surrounding barangays even from adjoining municipalities, is a known stronghold of Hassan’s group and is fighting desperately to stop its complete fall into the hands of the government.

“This is their stronghold and so we are now occupying some of the areas that they have control before. Our objective now is to control the whole area that is we expect more resistance in the next few minutes, few hours and few days,” Sobejana said, vowing the operation will be sustained until the terrorists are rooted out from the barangays.

The regional military commander said indirect fire support, including mortar fire and even rockets from planes and helicopters were again delivered on Tuesday morning, while additional ground forces poured into the battle areas in order to purse the group which has already splintered into smaller cliques.

In Lanao del Sur, soldiers were also in pursuit with the group of Abu Dar following the encounter with remnants of the Maute-IS fighters at Barangay Padas in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur, where two terrorists were killed, along with two soldiers.

Abu Dar was initially reported as the one who took over the reign of the Maute-IS leadership in the country after the death of Isnilon Hapilon during the siege of Marawi City in 2017, but a report issued by the United States said Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan is leading the local IS fighters in the country.

The government said that Sawadjaan’s group was behind the Sulu bombing in January this year that killed 23 people and wounded 95 others.

Col. Romeo Brawner, commander of the 103rd Brigade, said they followed the group of Dar, which is mobile with more than 30 men, until they encountered them on Monday afternoon.

“Until now, the operation is continuing,” Brawner said on Tuesday.