Army troops seize Maute camp, but leader Abu Dar, men flee

GOVERNMENT troops seized a camp held by Maute-ISIS group following heavy fighting in Lanao del Sur, Friday, the military said.


Col. Romeo Brawner Jr., commander of the Philippine Army's 103rd Brigade, said three Maute members were confirmed dead, while three soldiers were wounded in the 10-hour battle in Sultan Dumalondong which ensued on Thursday.

Maute leader Owayda Benito Marohombsar, alias Abu Dar and his men escaped.

Senior Supt. Madzgani Mukaram, police commander of Lanao del Sur province, said they monitored the gun battle that started 8:30 morning in the forested border of Barangay Sumalindaw, Sultan Dumalondong and Barangay Piyangulugan, Marogong, Lanao del Sur.


"Our counterparts in the Army are requesting our reinforcements now.  Our elite police force from Special Action Force (SAF) and provincial battalion force were deployed," Mukaram said.

The whole police force in the province, meanwhile, have been directed to intensify checkpoint operations to prevent spill over of violence elsewhere and to secure the safety of fleeing civilians.

The town of Sultan Dumalondong is adjacent to Butig, site of a week-long battle between the Maute group and government troops late in 2016, months before the same terror group laid siege on Marawi City.

Created in 1995, some of Sultan Dumalondong's barangays were originally from Butig.

Brawner said solders saw foxholes, running trenches, personal belongings and the black IS flag in the terrorists' lair.

At the same time, a training camp for minor recruits was also discovered.

Brawner said pursuit operations are ongoing.

The three soldiers who were wounded from the fighting are now in stable condition, Brawner said.

Site of the gunbattle between Sultan Dumalondong and Marogong, Lanao del Sur.

Sultan Dumalondong is located about 50 kilometers from Marawi City, where ISIS-inspired terrorists laid siege to the city for five months in 2017.

Brawner urged the residents not to panic from the tension because they are in control of the situation.

"Kahapon may mga gustong mag-evacuate, sabi namin, 'wag na dahil kontrolado namin ang sitwasyon," Brawner said. [Ferdinandh B. Cabrera, MindaNews; Frances G. Mangosing, Inquirer.Net; Dempsey Reyes, The Manila Times]