Army honors fallen soldier

TACURONG CITY, Sultan Kudarat --The commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central (JTFC) commander paid his last respects to a soldier slain while in pursuit of the Dawlah Islamiya terrorists in

Maguindanao.

Maj. Gen. Diosdado Carreon visited the wake of Sgt. Rex Sadava of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion in his home in Purok Pag-asa, Barangay San Pablo here.

Sadava was part of the 57th Infantry Battalion troops conducting clearing operations in Barangay Dasawao, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao, when an improvised bomb planted by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) went off Wednesday.

Carreon hailed Sadava as a “modern-day hero who offered his life in defense of our country.”

The ongoing pursuit operations against IS-linked BIFF and Dawla Islamiya have been intensified after three BIFF fighters were killed and several improvised bombs recovered in the Maguindanao marshland.

Carreon confirmed that Akhmad Abdulmalik, brother of BIFF leader Abu Toraife, and Ansari Esmail, Toraife’s son and follower Johari Abdulatip were slain in air and ground assaults.

“The Joint Task Force Central will not waver in its efforts to eradicate and put a stop to these groups,” Carreon said.

“We will hunt them down and will not allow them space to regroup and gain strength,” he added.