Military insists Lanao clash was with Daulah Islamiyah, not MILF

The military on Thursday insisted that Daulah Islamiyah members were the targets of the recent operation in Lanao del Sur and not the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"The MILF is never our target, they are our partners in peace," said Colonel Ramon Zagala, spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

It was Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim who said that the firefight in Maguing, Lanao del Sur, earlier this week involved government troops and members of the MILF.

Ebrahim's statement comes nearly eight years to the day the national government and the MILF signed a comprehensive peace agreement aimed at ending the decades-long insurgency in Mindanao and serving as the basis for the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, eventually known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). 

The BARMM was created through the signing of the BOL in 2018 and its subsequent ratification by a plebiscite in 2019.

Abu Zacariah

Zagala said the target of the operation was the Daulah Islamiyah group under Abu Zacariah. 

"Zacariah is identified with Daulah, siya ang target natin," he said.

"Our target is Daulah, if they are former MILF, they are no longer MILF. Majority of MILF are peace inclined," Zagala added.

He said the operation was launched based on information shared by the MILF.

"Ang tumulong sa atin dito ay MILF, sila ang nagbigay ng information (It was the MILF which helped us by sharing information)," Zagala said.

No air strikes

The official also clarified that the operation involved "close air support" and not air strikes as earlier reported.

"There are trops on the ground near the target," Zagala said. "Pag sinabi mong air strike, there are no troops [on the ground]."

Zagala said a close air support is conducted to ensure the safety of ground troops moving in on a target.

The operation resulted in the death of seven on the enemy side and one on the government side, Zagala said.

Zagala also said 46 firearms were recovered from the area of the encounter in the town of Maguing.

“As we speak, more or less 46 firearms ang na-recover natin [that we recovered], various firearms. Seven enemies killed,” he said.

“Unfortunately, sa side natin meron tayong isang killed in action at apat na wounded [on our side we have one killed in action four were wounded],” he added.

In a statement on Thursday, the Western Mindanao Command said the following were recovered in the encounter area:

In a statement on Thursday, the Western Mindanao Command said the following were recovered in the encounter area:

• 45 assorted crew-served weapons and high-powered firearms which include three caliber 50 machine guns with tripod
• a caliber 30 machine gun with tripod
• two M60 general-purpose machine guns
• twelve 5.56mm M16 rifles
• a M653 rifle
• a M4 carbine
• a 20-inch AR-15 rifle
• five 7.62mm M14 rifles
• a 7.62mm M4 rifle
• six rocket-propelled grenade launchers
• two M203 grenade launchers,
• six improvised 50 caliber sniper rifles
• a Garand rifle
• a browning automatic rifle (BAR)
• a caliber  22 AK47
• a shotgun.
• other war materials such as assorted ammunition, magazines, IED components, propelled grenades, improvised rockets, a laptop, radio, cellphone, an improvised explosive mixer, ISIS flags, and propaganda materials

Zagala said the military has yet to determine if Zacariah was one of the fatalities. The military will seek assistance from the Philippine National Police to identify the cadavers, he added.

According to Zagala, the military is still clearing the area and continuing with the operation. —with Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News