Bloody week in Zambo

From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 8): Bloody week in Zambo

2 Maute gang, 3 suspected terrorists, KFR leader killed

Zamboanga City — It was a bloody first week of March in Lanao and Zamboanga del Sur as two suspected Maute gang members, two terrorists, and a kidnap-for-ransom leader were killed in separate incidents here.

Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) spokesman Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay said the operation against the Maute group resulted in the wounding of two soldiers who sustained gunshot wounds and the recovery of firearms and suspected shabu.

According to Petinglay elements of the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and Lanao del Sur Police Provincial Office served the search warrant for illegal drugs against the Maute-linked group in Barangays Bato-bato and Malingon in Maguing, Lanao del Sur at around 3 a.m. Tuesday.

Seven armed members of the Maute-linked group engaged the composite team in a firefight resulting in the deaths of the two gang members. Their cadavers were retrieved by the troops in the area of engagement. The soldiers also recovered an M16 rifle, 230 rounds of M16 ammunition, an M16 magazine, and two sachets of shabu.

Also on Tuesday, two suspected terrorists were killed and several high-powered firearms and ammunitions were seized by soldiers during a focused military operations launched by the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan in Lanao del Sur Tuesday morning.
Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WestMinCom) Commander Major General Carlito G. Galvez Jr., said elements of the 14th Division Reconnaissance Company were conducting combat operations when they encountered about 30 terrorists operating under commander Afgan in Barangay Ragayan, Poona Bayabao, Lanao del Sur.

Galvez said a 45-minute gun battle ensued, killing two local terrorists, based on the cadavers recovered by the engaging troops.

No casualty was reported on the government side and hot pursuit operations are being conducted by the ground troops.

Joint Task Force ZamPeLan also recovered three M14s; one Garand; one M16 with M203 attached; one RPG with three ammunition; two Improvised Explosive Devices; two Garand magazines; one M16 magazine; one Rohner Group Solar with battery; and three bandoleers belonging to the said group.

In Lapuyan, Zamboanga del Sur, a notorious leader of a Kidnap for Ransom Group (KFRG) was killed during a 30-minute encounter with the police and military authorities on Monday.

Petinglay identified the slain KFRG leader as Fahad Andi, leader of the Andi group.

Two policemen were also wounded in action and were evacuated by responding troops to a hospital for medical treatment.

http://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/08/bloody-week-in-zambo/