THE military claimed on Monday to have killed 54 members of a Maranao jihadist group in Lanao del Sur that had harbored an Indonesian terrorist who had been training local extremists in making bombs, according to the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command.
Westmincom spokesman Major Filemon Tan said the fighting in Butig, Lanao del Sur, which first broke out last February, resumed on May 26.
“The series of encounters resulted in two killed-in-action and nine wounded-in-action for the government side while 54 [terrorists] were killed,” Tan said. “The troops continue to advance towards the enemy stronghold and defeat the LTGs in the area.”
“This terrorist group was responsible for the beheading of two civilians in the area,” he added.
The fighting has so far affected more than a thousand civilians in six villages of Butig town, said Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., identifying the affected barangays as Coloyan, Samer, Bayabao, Raya Timbab, Sandab and Ragayan.
Adiong said a total of 1,517 villagers were affected by the fighting and are now housed in evacuation centers in the nearby barangays of Crossing Samer, Sandig and Malungon.
Tan said the extremists belong to the group of Abdullah Maute, who inherited leadership of the group after his brother Omar was killed by a military offensive last February.
Omar is believed to have been killed last Feb. 25 when the military unleashed a ground and air offensive after it was learned that the group was harboring Indonesian and Malaysian jihadists who fled to Mindanao after they were hunted down by lawmen in their homelands.
The group included Indonesian terrorist Mohammad Muktar, who was killed in the clashes at Butig.
Muktar is believed to have been part of a group that included Salahudin Hassan, a member of the Al Khobar group supporting the Jemaah Islamiyah, and Mumanda Ali, alias Mauwiya, a former military officer from Singapore, who took part in the 2001 bomb attack in Bali, Indonesia.
The foreign jihadists were the ones who trained the group of 100 extremists in bomb making somewhere in Liguasan Marsh near Tacurong, Sultan Kudarat, the military said.
As part of their training, the local extremists planted explosive devices in the towns of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Guindulungan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Hofer and Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao and in Pikit and Aleosan towns in North Cotabato, the source added.
The military had earlier reported that at least 18 government soldiers were injured by these bombs. Five civilians, including the town treasurer of Datu Salibo, were also among the casualties of the bombs planted by the extremist group earlier this year.
Tan said the military will continue intensified operations, involving troops of the 103rdn Infantry Brigade, the police and Philippine Air Force.
“The troops continue to advance towards the enemy stronghold and defeat the terrorist group in the area,” Tan said.