Wide-scale military and police operations against the identified terrorist Islamic State-inspired Maute group operating in Maguindanao and nearby provinces continued to gain ground, forcing an operative to yield at the adjoining province of Lanao del Sur.
Chief Supt Graciano Mijares, police director in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, identified the alleged Maute/IS group member as Camal Tawakal Marcos, a farmer and resident of Barangay Tambac Mantapoli, Lumbatan town.
Mijares said an M16 rifle, a supposedly issued firearm of Marcos in the terrorist organization, was given to police authorities.
Marcos’ surrender brings to 40 the number of Maute fighters to have surrendered following the demise of their leader Omar Maute who was killed by security forces during the five-month intense fighting in Marawi City in 2017.
READ: Amnesty for 27 Maute remnants
Mijares said the surrender of the Maute group member occurred after the Lumbatan Municipal Police Station received an information on Marcos plan to yield, prompting town mayor Allan Lao to help in the surrender.
Mijares said after receipt of Marcos’ plan, police led by SP01 Tohamie Mortaba proceeded to Tambac village to do “a profile” parallel to the synchronize efforts of the Army’s 55th Infantry Battalion deployed in the area.
“We are working closely with the Philippine Army and our stakeholders to convince the remaining ISIS-Maute terrorist group members to surrender and live normal lives,” Mijares said.
Earlier, seven Maute members surrendered to the military in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur along with three Garand rifles, a carbine, four caliber .45 pistols and a 9mm pistol.
Recently, the composition of the Maute terrorist group had dwindled with the surrender of six members in Lanao del Sur.
They also brought in high-powered firearms, including a locally-manufactured caliber .50 rifle, three M79 grenade launchers and a carbine rifle.
