FIVE suspected members of the Islamic-state-linked Dawlah Islamiya were killed when they allegedly resisted arrest by the police and soldiers in their village in Sultan Naga Dimaporo town, Lanao del Norte on October 23.
Around a hundred soldiers and PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 9 personnel raided the house where the suspects slept at 1 am in Barangay Bangco, according to Police Master Sergeant Macoi Ongco of the Sultan Naga Dimaporo police station.
“The suspects resisted and opened fire at the soldiers and policemen. The shooting ended after 15 minutes,” Ongco narrated.
PNP-10 Regional Director Brigadier General Jaysen De Guzman said five of the alleged DI members were killed. In contrast, two others including the owner of the house identified as “Bucari” were arrested.
De Guzman said four M16A1 and three M1 Garand rifles including two grenades were seized from the house of Bucari.
He said the DI leader identified as Uya Duma or “Lagbas” who had arrested warrants for kidnapping, was the target of the police operation in cooperation with the Army 5th Mechanized Infantry Battalion.
The location where the alleged terrorists were hiding was the general area where kidnappers of Italian missionary Giancarlo Bossi hid the priest in 2007.
Ongco said house owner Bucari told police Duma was a relative who came with the others and stayed in his house beside the rice field more than a year ago.
