CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 2 March) – The military has momentarily stopped operations against the Maute-ISIS group in the municipality of Maguing in Lanao del Sur Tuesday night to allow trapped residents to evacuate to safety.

Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II, commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Marawi City, said the ceasefire was implemented Tuesday night to allow 100 families trapped in the fighting to be evacuated to Barangay Madaya Poblacion in Maguing.

But Maguing Mayor Mahad Molok said there were more evacuees than they have expected.

He said the local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office registered 1,217 families who fled their homes and sought refuge in the town centers and houses of relatives as of Wednesday morning as soon as the fighting stopped.

Molok said the local government is taking care of 50 families who have taken shelter in the town center.

“We are expecting helping hands from the province and BARMM [Bangsamoro Region in Muslim Mindanao] today,” the mayor said Wednesday.

Supported by Air Force FA50 jets and the newly acquired A-29 Super Tucano planes, the Army launched operations against suspected Maute-ISIS militants in Maguing Tuesday.

The local government of Maguing asked the Army on Tuesday for a ceasefire to allow its responders to evacuate the residents trapped in Barangay Rungayan to the town poblacion.

Cuerpo said three militants were killed as Army troops attacked the suspected Maute-ISIS camp in hinterland Barangay Ilalag.

The government suffered one soldier killed in action while four others were wounded, he said.

Cuerpo said they have seized six firearms, including two crew-served caliber .50 machine guns, several hundred rounds of ammunition and several ISIS black flags.

He said they also found evidence that the Maute-ISIS militants led by Farahuding Hadji Satar alias Abu Bakar or Abu Zacaria have merged with the remnants of the Dawlah Islamiya group from Maguindanao.[]