An alleged leader and four other members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Hassan Group (DI-HG) were killed while police officers were serving arrest warrants in Pikit, Cotabato.

The Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-BARMM) identified the alleged leader as alias “Marhom,” who was also tagged as the number one most wanted person in the Bangsamoro region.

PRO-BARMM said the suspects were priority targets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and had outstanding warrants of arrest for various criminal offenses, including murder, frustrated murder, attempted murder, and robbery.

Based on investigation, police and military personnel were supposed to serve the arrest warrants and called on the suspects to surrender peacefully when they arrived at the scene in Barangay Inug-ug on August 6, 2026.

However, the suspects reportedly opened fire, resulting in an armed encounter.

During the clearing operation, the suspects were confirmed dead. No casualties or injuries were reported on the side of the government.

Based on intelligence information, Marhom was identified as the primary suspect in the March 28, 2026 ambush against PNP personnel, which killed five police officers and injured three others.

Meanwhile, one of the members who was killed was also linked to the June 12, 2026 ambush against two personnel of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-12, during which firearms reportedly belonging to the slain police personnel were recovered from his possession.

The group was also linked to the brutal killing of three vendors of hybrid goats from Batangas, who were initially reported missing and were later found dead in Sitio Goma, Barangay Nabundas, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur. In connection with the incident, robbery with homicide charges were filed against them.

Three days prior to the encounter, police and military intelligence personnel tracked the location of the group—an important development that paved the way for the successful operation.

PRO-BARMM said the killing of the five suspects, including its alleged leader, is considered a significant accomplishment in the continuing campaign against the DI-HG, which has been linked to a series of violent incidents targeting government forces and civilians.

“Ang operasyong ito ay patunay ng ating matatag na paninindigan na papanagutin ang mga taong patuloy na naghahasik ng karahasan at banta sa kapayapaan. Patuloy na makikipagtulungan ang PRO-BAR sa AFP at iba pang partner agencies upang tiyakin na ang mga wanted persons at mga grupong sangkot sa terorismo at mabibigat na krimen ay mananagot sa ilalim ng batas,” PRO-BARMM Director, Brigadier General Christopher Abecia, said.