ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 26 January) – Eight members of Dawlah Islamiyah were killed and four soldiers were wounded in a two-hour encounter that started around 4:45 p.m. Thursday in the hinterland village of Tapurog in Piagapo, Lanao del Sur, a military official said.
BGen Yegor Rey Baroquillo Jr., commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade said the encounter took place during an operation launched by the 7th Company of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion to hunt down the suspects of the bombing at Mindanao State University in Marawi City last Dec. 3, 2023 that killed four mass goers and wounded several others.
“The troops also recovered eight assorted high-powered firearms,” Baroquillo said.
No air strike was done during the military operation while the wounded soldiers were brought to a nearby hospital, he said, adding no evacuees were reported.
He said the Lanao del Norte towns of Pantao Ragat, Poona Piagapo and Munai, which are close to Lanao del Sur, are temporarily under the operational control of 103rd Infantry Brigade until March this year due the sustained military operations, Baroquillo earlier said.
BGen Anthon Abrina, commander of the 2nd Mechanized Infantry “Magbalantay” said in a phone interview that they are on heightened red alert status following the encounter Thursday evening.
Abrina said more troops from the 4th and 5th Mechanized Infantry Battalions were deployed.
Several checkpoints were put up along the national highway in the coastal towns of Linamon, Barangay Inudaran of Kauswagan, Bacolod and Maigo towns, all in Lanao del Norte, to ensure the safety of civilians, he added. (Richel V. Umel/MindaNews)