BOMB MATERIALS. Suspected bomb-making materials taken from Geoffrey Nilong, an alleged leader of an Islamic State-inspired local terrorist group in South Cotabato, and his younger brother Al-Amen, who were killed in an encounter in Surallah town on Wednesday (Sept. 9, 2020). The suspects were reportedly transporting explosives from Maguindanao to this city when they were stopped in a joint police and army checkpoint. (Contributed photo)
An alleged leader of an Islamic State-inspired local terrorist group and his cohort were killed in a joint law enforcement operation in a village in Surallah town, South Cotabato province on Wednesday.
Col. Jemuel Siason, South Cotabato Police director, said Thursday suspects Geoffrey Tuanadatu Nilong, alias “Abu Omar”, 34, and his brother Al-Amen, 24, were reportedly carrying explosives bound for this city when they were stopped by operatives in a checkpoint in Purok Rizal 1, Barangay Lamsugod, Surallah at about 10:20 a.m.
Siason said they earlier received reports that the suspects, both residents of Purok 2, Barangay Lapu in Polomolok town, would be transporting bomb-making materials from Maguindanao and staging bomb attacks in the area.
This prompted the South Cotabato Police and the Army’s 5th Special Forces Battalion to launch joint checkpoint operations in the area, he said.
During the operation, Siason said the operatives spotted two approaching motorcycles with four unidentified persons on board and flagged them down for inspection.
However, he said the suspects did not stop and instead drew their handguns and opened fire, prompting the operating team to retaliate.
In the ensuing firefight, Siason said two of the suspects were hit and fell from the motorcycles while the other two managed to escape.
“It turned out during verification that the slain suspects were actually the Nilong brothers and carrying explosives,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a phone interview on Thursday.
Found in the backpacks carried by the two were five improvised blasting caps, an improvised grenade, a remote control, six motorcycle alarms, a battery connector, and light tester, four boosters, two light testers, a complete electrical circuit, and a soldering lid.
Also recovered at the scene were at least eight spent shells of caliber .45 handguns fired by the escaped suspects and 30 coming from the 9mm pistols of the operatives.
Geoffrey had been tagged by authorities as the leader of the Dawlah Islamiya - Socsargen (South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos) Katiba.
He was reportedly a former sub-leader of the defunct Sarangani-based terrorist cell Ansar al-Khilafa Islamiyah and eventually led its remnants in Polomolok, South Cotabato.
Citing intelligence reports, Siason said the Nilong brothers were reportedly on their way to this city via Tboli town in South Cotabato when they were spotted by operatives.
“Based on the information, they are planning to launch bombing activities in Region 12 (Soccsksargen). They have targeted some areas but were proceeding to General Santos City when they were stopped,” he said.
Siason said investigators were gathering additional evidence based on the recovered cellphones from the suspects.
The Nilong group, which had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, was previously reported to have joined forces with the Dawlah Islamiyah and became known as the Nilong sub-group and Socsargen Katiba.
The Nilong group had been tagged as behind a string of criminal activities and terror attacks in South Cotabato and the neighboring areas, including the bombing in front of a lying-in clinic here in September 2018 that left eight people wounded.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1115016
Col. Jemuel Siason, South Cotabato Police director, said Thursday suspects Geoffrey Tuanadatu Nilong, alias “Abu Omar”, 34, and his brother Al-Amen, 24, were reportedly carrying explosives bound for this city when they were stopped by operatives in a checkpoint in Purok Rizal 1, Barangay Lamsugod, Surallah at about 10:20 a.m.
Siason said they earlier received reports that the suspects, both residents of Purok 2, Barangay Lapu in Polomolok town, would be transporting bomb-making materials from Maguindanao and staging bomb attacks in the area.
This prompted the South Cotabato Police and the Army’s 5th Special Forces Battalion to launch joint checkpoint operations in the area, he said.
During the operation, Siason said the operatives spotted two approaching motorcycles with four unidentified persons on board and flagged them down for inspection.
However, he said the suspects did not stop and instead drew their handguns and opened fire, prompting the operating team to retaliate.
In the ensuing firefight, Siason said two of the suspects were hit and fell from the motorcycles while the other two managed to escape.
“It turned out during verification that the slain suspects were actually the Nilong brothers and carrying explosives,” he told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a phone interview on Thursday.
Found in the backpacks carried by the two were five improvised blasting caps, an improvised grenade, a remote control, six motorcycle alarms, a battery connector, and light tester, four boosters, two light testers, a complete electrical circuit, and a soldering lid.
Also recovered at the scene were at least eight spent shells of caliber .45 handguns fired by the escaped suspects and 30 coming from the 9mm pistols of the operatives.
Geoffrey had been tagged by authorities as the leader of the Dawlah Islamiya - Socsargen (South Cotabato-Sarangani-General Santos) Katiba.
He was reportedly a former sub-leader of the defunct Sarangani-based terrorist cell Ansar al-Khilafa Islamiyah and eventually led its remnants in Polomolok, South Cotabato.
Citing intelligence reports, Siason said the Nilong brothers were reportedly on their way to this city via Tboli town in South Cotabato when they were spotted by operatives.
“Based on the information, they are planning to launch bombing activities in Region 12 (Soccsksargen). They have targeted some areas but were proceeding to General Santos City when they were stopped,” he said.
Siason said investigators were gathering additional evidence based on the recovered cellphones from the suspects.
The Nilong group, which had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, was previously reported to have joined forces with the Dawlah Islamiyah and became known as the Nilong sub-group and Socsargen Katiba.
The Nilong group had been tagged as behind a string of criminal activities and terror attacks in South Cotabato and the neighboring areas, including the bombing in front of a lying-in clinic here in September 2018 that left eight people wounded.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1115016
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