5 killed in firefight in Lanao del Norte

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FIVE members of a crime group associated with the terrorist group Daulah Islamiyah were killed in a firefight with soldiers and policemen in Lanao del Norte early morning yesterday.

The AFP Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) named one of the slain suspects as Uya Dama, alias Aragon.

Westmincom commander Lt. Gen. William Gonzales said troops from the military’s AFP’s Joint Task Force (JTF) ZamPeLan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao provinces) and the PNP went to Barangay Bangco in Sultan Naga Dimaporo town to serve arrest warrants against the suspects.

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Gonzales said seven suspects opened fire at the authorities, leading to a firefight that lasted for about 30 minutes.

Five of the suspects, led by Dama, died in the fighting. Two others were apprehended, one of them was injured.

No one was killed or injured on the government side.

Recovered at the encounter site were three M16 rifles, three cal. 30 Garand rifles, two cal. pistols, two hand grenades, assorted ammunition, magazines, a bandoleer, two sling bags, and a backpack.

The military said the criminal group is “affiliated” with the Daulah Islamiyah, a terrorist group blamed for numerous bombings and other atrocities in Mindanao.

“Our troops exhaust their effort to decapacitate armed groups that defer the attainment of resounding peace in our area of responsibility (AOR),” said Gonzales.

“The JTF ZamPeLan continuously coordinates with our partners from the Philippine National Police to reinforce the security operations against the remaining militant groups in our AOR,” added Gonzales.

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