Islamic State-linked terrorist killed in Cotabato

A member of the Daulah Islamiyah (DI) Maguindanao Group, an Islamic State (IS)-linked militant group, was killed while another was arrested in an encounter in Cotabato early Wednesday, a ranking official said.

In a statement, Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) spokesman Maj. Andrew Linao said joint operating forces of the 602nd Infantry Brigade and Soccsksargen police conducted a law enforcement support operation targeting suspected perpetrators of recent bombing incidents in Parang, Maguindanao; Koronadal City, South Cotabato; and Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat.

He added that the operation at at Purok 7, Barangay Dunguan, M’lang in Cotabato, resulted in an encounter with an undetermined number of DI Maguindanao Group members led by Almoben Camen Sebod, alias Polok, a full-time member of the group who is directly involved in extortion and scam activities.

The troops recovered the body of a DI member and assorted war materials including one 5.56mm M16 rifle, a long magazine of M16 with 41 rounds cartridge of cal. 5.56mm ball, a bandolier and an improvised explosive device from the firefight.

Authorities identified the slain insurgent as Monir Lintukan and the apprehended as Randy Karon, alias Bong, both members of the DI Maguindanao Group.

“Team WestMinCom and our partners from the police and other security forces are always on the job. We are maximizing our joint efforts to eliminate the menaces of society,” Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario, commander of WestMinCom, said.

Daulah Islamiyah is based mainly in the central part of Mindanao, the southern region where a Muslim insurgency, through the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, has raged since 1972.

Some of its members were believed to have worked with foreign and local IS terrorists who ransacked the city of Marawi in 2017 during a five-month siege that left 1,200 civilians, government forces and rebels dead.

Source: Manila Times