ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Government troops tracked down and recovered an arms cache hidden in a village hall in Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte, a military official said Sunday.
Troops from the 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion launched the operation Thursday following information from a civilian that firearms and ammunition were hidden in the barangay hall of Barangay Darimbang.
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Maj. Gen. Generoso Ponio, 1st Infantry Division and Joint Task Force ZamPeLan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao) commander, said the operation led the recovery of cache of firearms on Thursday afternoon.
The military official said no one from the local leaders stepped up to claim ownership of the unlicensed firearms. Authorities found three M16 rifles, a Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), three shotguns, several magazines and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition.
The military has coordinated with the police in the investigation and tracking of the possible owners of the confiscated guns and ammunition.
Ponio lauded the courage of the community in reporting the cache to authorities and supporting the campaign against proliferation of loose firearms.