Daulah-Maute plotting to 'create havoc' on elections, Ramadan — military official

Members of Daulah Islamiyah - Maute Group are reorganizing in Lanao del Sur to plot attacks during the election period and Ramadan, a military official said Thursday.

In a radio interview, Brigadier General Jose Maria Cuerpo II, commander of the 103rd Infantry Brigade said it is the same group that the military has been pursuing in Maguindanao.

“Lumipat na rin sila dito sa Lanao del Sur kaya medyo nagtaka kami at nandito na yung mga Maguindanaon. At yun pala may mga plano sila ngayong Ramadan at ngayong eleksyon,” he said.

(They moved here in Lanao del Sur, which baffled us. It turned out that they have plans for Ramadan and the elections)

In a statement of the Western Mindanao Command, Cuerpo said the supposed terror group led by Abu Zacariah, allegedly the new emir of ISIS in Southeast Asia, is “planning to create havoc” during these occasions.

“We received a report that the remaining members of Daulah Islamiyah-Maute Group in Lanao provinces and Daulah Islamiyah-Hassan Group from Maguindanao are reorganizing in the target area hence the conduct of close air support followed by the combat operations,” he said, referring to the military's operation in Maguing town.

Cuerpo said the military operations in Lanao against the group started in January when the supposed terrorists relocated from the west side to the east side of Lake Lanao.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said seven Daulah-Maute members were killed during the recent operation in Lanao del Sur.

Interviewed on Dobol B TV, AFP spokesperson Colonel Ramon Zagala said 46 firearms were also recovered from the area of the encounter.

One soldier was killed in the encounter, Zagala said.

Zagala said the military has yet to determine if Abu Zacariah was among the fatalities. —KBK, GMA News