Child fighter for Maute group arrested in Lanao del Sur

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities have arrested a child fighter linked to the terrorist group Dawlah Islamiya, also known as the Maute Group, during an encounter in Lanao del Sur.

Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Nicholas Torre III said at a press briefing on Monday, Aug. 9, that the clash took place on Saturday, resulting in several deaths on the Maute side.

“Sa operasyong ito, nakahuli tayo ng mga menor de edad, na ginagamit ng Maute,” Torre said. (In this operation, we apprehended minors who were being used by the Maute group.)

According to Torre, a female fighter and one minor from the group were killed, while several others escaped. Those arrested are in the custody of the Philippine Army in Marawi City.

Three of those apprehended are minors and will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development for “proper intervention,” Torre said.

He added that recruiting children has long been part of the group’s modus operandi, exploiting the hesitation of security forces when facing minors in combat.

“Kaya ito napaka kasuklam-suklam na gawain ng Maute. At sa tingin ko naman nare-realize na ng mga communities na ‘yan kung saan sila present na walang ibang gustong gawin ang mga tao ng ito kundi sirain lang ang kapayapaan ng ating communities para sa selfish interest nila,” Torre said.

(That’s why this is such a despicable act by the Maute group. And I think the communities where they are present are now realizing that these people want to do nothing but destroy the peace of our communities for their own selfish interests.)

Army vows continued monitoring. In a separate statement, the Philippine Army confirmed reports of Maute remnants in remote areas of Lanao del Sur and said these elements are under active surveillance.

“We assure the public that these elements are being actively monitored, and our security operations are ongoing to neutralize any threat they pose to peace and stability in the region,” the statement read.

The Army urged residents of Lanao del Sur to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities to authorities.

The Maute Group. Also known as the Islamic State of Lanao, Maute is a radical Islamist militant organization based in Lanao del Sur. It was founded in 2012 by brothers Abdullah and Omar Maute, former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State around 2015 and was behind the 2017 Marawi siege,where it allied with the Abu Sayyaf Group in an attempt to establish an ISIS stronghold in Mindanao.

It is designated as a terrorist organization by the Philippines, Malaysia and New Zealand.