The Philippine military announced today that they have gained control of an Islamic State-linked terrorist group’s camp in the village of Sumalindao, in the town of Sultan Dumalondong in Lanao del Sur.
The troops were chasing after the Dawla Islamiya, formerly known as the Maute Group, a terrorist organization said to have links with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). It’s the same group that seized Marawi City in 2017.
The military is currently hunting down the group’s alleged leader, Abu Dar, reported ABS-CBN News. He reportedly became the group’s head when the original leaders, brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute, died in 2017 during the battle of Marawi.
In an interview with Radyo Inquirer, Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., the commander of the 103rd Brigade of the Philippine Army said troops seized the camp this morning.
The soldiers and terrorists have been engaged in an intense gunfight since Wednesday night, according to GMA News. Three soldiers were injured, while three members of the Dawla Islamiya were believed to have been killed, although their bodies have yet to be recovered.
Two members of the terrorist group, a 34-year-old man and a 17-year-old man, surrendered. The military said that they are still in pursuit of members who have escaped.
Found in the camp were rockets, black flags with ISIS symbols, clothes, books, and notebooks. A training camp was also found several meters from the camp.
Brawner urged residents to remain calm, saying that there was no need to evacuate because the military has the situation under control. However, 150 families still left their homes because of the conflict.
