Government troops killed a member of the Daulah Islamiyah-Hassan Group during an encounter in Ampatuan, Maguindanao, the military said yesterday.
Western Mindanao Command head Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan said soldiers encountered some 30 members of a local terrorist group led by Salahuddin Hassan in Barangay Salman on Friday.
The gun battle, Vinluan said, lasted for half an hour and resulted in the death of a Dawlah Islamiyah—Hassan Group member.
Joint Task Force Central head Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy identified the casualty as Muslimin Kulas Tagal, based on the postal and voter’s ID recovered in his possession.
Last month, two suspected members of the Daulah Islamiyah group were also killed in an operation in Polomok, South Cotabato.
In December, the Anti-Terrorism Council designated the Dawlah Islamiya as a terrorist organization, along with the Islamic State East Asia, the Maute Group, and other Daesh-affiliated groups in the country.