Foreign ‘ISIS sympathizer,’ live-in partner killed in Sarangani operation

From the Philippine News Agency (Jan 7): Foreign ‘ISIS sympathizer,’ live-in partner killed in Sarangani operation

A foreign national tagged as a sympathizer of international terror group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and his Filipina live-in partner were killed in a joint police and military operation in Maasim town in Sarangani Province on Saturday.

Supt. Romeo Galgo, public information officer of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12, said suspect Abu Naila was gunned down by operatives after reportedly resisting arrest at around 11:45 a.m. in Barangay Daliao in Maasim.

The foreigner’s live-in partner identified only as Khadija was also killed during the operation, he said.

The official said a police team was conducting a security operation in the area when they initially spotted the foreigner and his Filipina partner.

He said the operation was backed by elements from the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion.

“The two were reportedly acting suspiciously and when accosted, the foreigner tried to hurl a grenade at our operatives,” Galgo said.

He said investigators were still verifying the real identities of the slain suspects, but the woman reportedly hails from Butig town in Lanao del Sur.

The foreign national appeared to be African, he said.

Galgo said local informants confirmed that the two were linked to slain local terror leader Mohammad Jaafar Sabiwang Maguid alias Tokboy.

Maguid, the founder and leader local terror group Ansar Al-Khilafah Philippines (AKP), was killed in an operation past midnight on Thursday at the Angel Beach Resort in Barangay Kitagas in Kiamba, Sarangani.

AKP, which had pledged support to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, was blamed over a string of terror attacks in Sarangani and the neighboring areas since 2008.

Maguid grew up in Barangay Daliao, Maasim and his family remains based in the area.

Several members of his group were killed in police and military operations in the area in the last two years.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=953425