TACURONG CITY—Government troops and police arrested 30 Islamic State-inspired terrorists in a surprise commando-type offensive deep into their lair in the lakeshore town of Lutayan in Sultan Kudarat province, officials said Sunday.
Police Supt. James Gulmatico, Sultan Kudarat police provincial director, said the operation by the 4th Special Action Battalion of the Police Special Action Force and the 33rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army, took place in Markadz, Barangay Sisiman, Lutayan.
Gulmatico said the arrested men were being interrogated, and that the police will provide further updates later.
Seized from the extremists were one M-16 automatic rifle; three homemade shotguns; two rifle grenade; two hand-held two-way radios, an improvised bomb with coiled electrical wire, a cellular phone for a triggering device, and nails.
News of the successful raid came a day before Armed Forces chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. opened the Balikatan joint Philippine-US military exercises on Monday.
Galvez, who headed the overall Philippine military operations against the IS-inspired extremists in Marawi City, acknowledged how the US forces provided Filipino counterparts with “intelligence support in real time,” as well as ammunition, and other resources like rubber boats, firepower, and capability training.
A lakeshore city, Lutayan town sits on a southern shore of Lake Buluan, similar to Marawi.
In both cases, local officials were unaware of the presence of the extremists.
Australia and Japan on Monday joined the humanitarian operations component of Balikatan 34, which is being held from May 7 to 18 in multiple locations in Luzon.
The participating forces have already conducted a series of community engagement activities since April 19, the US Embassy said in a statement.
