COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Soldiers detained 21 members of a local terror group after a gunfight that also left three terrorists wounded in Barangay Bagolibas, Aleosan town in Cotabato on Thursday.
The 24 terror group members were in two vehicles, a truck and on three motorcycles when intercepted by the 34th Infantry Battalion (IB) on their way to Barangay Pagangan, also in Aleosan, to attack their members who were planning to surrender to the government.
Maj. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, Army 6th Infantry Division commander, told reporters yesterday that the group surrendered after realizing that they were surrounded by personnel of the 34th IB.
Nafarrete added that one of the soldiers, Cpl. Roy Villaber, was wounded during the gunfight.
Seized from the group were five M16 rifles, two M14 rifles, a fragmentation grenade and components for improvised explosive devices.