The Police Regional Office (PRO)-12 has raised the security
alert in some parts of the region in the wake of the killing on Saturday of
three alleged sympathizers of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in an
encounter in Maasim town in Sarangani
Province
Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr., PRO-12 public information officer,
said Monday all police units in the region are currently under heightened alert
as they move to avert possible retaliatory attacks from local armed group Ansar
Al-Khilafah Philippines
The slain suspects have been tagged as members of the group,
which had pledged support to the ISIS .
He appealed to the public to be vigilant and immediately
report to authorities any suspicious activity that they might encounter.
“We are currently under heightened alert and our intensified
operations against the group are ongoing,” Galgo said.
The three suspects were killed in a clash with operatives
from the police Special Action Force at around 5 p.m. last Saturday at a
portion of Sitio Upper Lebe, Barangay Daliao in Maasim.
They were identified as Abu Sabana of Barangay Daliao in
Maasim; Jomar Harid of Colong Colong in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat; and, Arthur
Tagum of Lumatil in Maasim.
Recovered at the site were a carbine rifle, an M-79 grenade
launcher, a rifle scope, a black flag bearing an ISIS
logo and an empty shell of an M-203 rifle grenade.
Galgo said two of the slain suspects -- Harid and Tagum --
were allegedly involved in the grenade attack near the municipal police station
of Maasim last June 20 that killed a policeman and injured five others.
The police official said they have expanded their manhunt
operations against the other members and leaders of the Ansar Al-Khilafah,
especially its alleged founder Mohammad Jaafar S. Maguid alias “Tokboy.”
But he said police teams have been monitoring the movements
of Maguid, who is facing murder and multiple murder charges over a string of
terror attacks in the area in past years.
He said the group is highly mobile and had been constantly
moving from one place to another in portions of Sarangani and Sultan Kudarat
provinces.
In late April, two suspected members of the group were
killed in an encounter in an outskirt village in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.
“Rest assured that there will be no let-up in our operations
until we effectively dismantle this group,” Galgo added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=916020
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.