CAGAYAN DE ORO. Major General Gerrado Barrientos Jr, 1st Infantry ‘Tabak’ Division Commander of the Philippine Army, welcomes soldiers of the 49th Infantry Battalion from 9th Infantry Division based in the Bicol Region during welcome ceremonies in Pawak, Saguiran, Lanao del Sur Wednesday, September 7. The 49th IB will augment troops already operating against the Maute Group. (Richel V. Umel)
MORE soldiers have began arriving in Marawi City over the weekend to take part in operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-inspired Maute Group whose known bases are in the hinterlands of Lanao del Sur.
The soldiers, members of the 49th Infantry Battalion of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division based in the Bicol Region, will be under the operational control of the 103rd Infantry Brigade and will augment the two infantry battalions and an armor battalion currently stationed at Kampo Ranao in Marawi City.
Major General Gerrardo Barrientos, in his message to the troops, said the troop build-up is part of Proclamation 55, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte last September 4, declaring a state of national emergency on account of lawless violence in Mindanao.
Barrientos said the added troops which will be utilized to go after the Maute Group and will also assist local government units sustain peace and order in their respective areas.
“Kapag hindi natin maayos ang mga problemang ito, this problem will be passed on to the next generations at syempre hindi tayo papayag,” Barrientos said.
Barrientos said the troops will also take part in the manhunt for the 23 escaped inmates of the Lanao del Sur Provincial Jail in Marawi City.
About 50 heavily armed members of the Maute group had raided the local jail on August 27 and freed eight of their comrades.
Fifteen other detainees, held for other serious offenses, also escaped in the raid.
The military had earlier said that the cities of Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro are possible targets of local terrorist groups and warned civilians to be vigilant.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) is looking into possible leads that can help them identify the persons or group behind the blast in Davao City that killed 14 people, PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa said Wednesday.
Dela Rosa said that they are looking at the materials used in creating the improvised explosive device (IED) as it bears the mark of bomb expert Zulkifli Bin Hir, also known as Marwan.
"Pinagbasehan doon 'yung trademark nung IED na mortar round, so 'yun ang pinakabasehan nila and iba 'yung trademark nung ibang grupo. Kanya-kanyang signature 'yung mga bombmaker. 'Yung ganun, it can be traced back to the Central Mindanao area where maraming naturuan si Marwan doon," he said.
He said the creators of the IED are "most likely" to be students of Marwan, who was killed in a police operation on January 2015 in Maguindanao. Marwan was popular for training would-be bombers.
Dela Rosa said investigators are yet to complete the artist's sketch of suspects as some witnesses are still confined in the hospital due to the injuries obtained in the bomb attack.
Dela Rosa said the PNP is also verifying reports that the Maute Group, Abu Sayyaf Group, and Ansar Khalifa's group have connived.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2016/09/08/more-soldiers-fielded-vs-maute-group-496398
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