Military hits Dawlah Islamiya hideouts in Lanao del Sur
COTABATO CITY, Philippines (Updated 1:25 p.m.) — Military airstrikes and artillery hit upland areas of Maguing town in Lanao del Sur before dawn Tuesday in operations against members of terrorist group Dawlah Islamiya.
The strikes were focusd on parts of Barangay Ilalag, the military said.
Troops have reportedly surrounded the area and have been trading shots with members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-inspired group.
According to updates from Zamboanga City, two Dawlah Islamiya members and a soldier have been killed in ground operations that followed.
Maj. Andrew Linao, spokesperson of the military's Western Mindanao Command, troops were responding to reports of 40 members of the terrorist group were in the area.
Military planes dropped at least 12 bombs in the area,
"The target of the airstrike was based on the intelligence unit and ground operatives confirming the presence of the terror group," Linao said. He added that the airstrikes and the ground operations are in areas far from civilian communities.
3 Army battalions deployed
Capt. Mary Jephte Mañebog, public affairs officer of the 1st Infantry Division and of Joint Task Force ZamPeLan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao), said soldiers from the 5th, 51st, and 55th Infantry Battalions under the 103rd Infantry Division are involved on the ongoing operations.
"Based on the initial reports from 103rd Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, the enemies suffered two killed and one from the government side while another soldier was wounded in the encounter," Mañebog also said.
Members of the Dawlah Islamiya include former followers of the slain Omarkhayam and Abdullah Maute, founders of the Maute terror group that laid siege to Marawi City — the capital of Marawi City — from May to October in 2017.
In a statement, the Army's 103rd Infantry Brigade said the operation is necessary and is meant to protect the local communities from local terror groups.
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