Mindanao Armed Conflict

COTABATO CITY - Personnel of the police’s elite Special Action Force shot dead a recalcitrant suspect in the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao Massacre they were to peacefully arrest here on Thursday morning.

Surin Mentang fired a gun at the SAF team and soldiers from the Army’s 40^th Infantry Battalion approaching his hideout in Sitio Itil in Barangay Satan, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao to serve him an arrest warrant, provoking a gunfight that resulted in his death.

COTABATO CITY --- A commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front perished in a brief shootout with soldiers in Shariff Saidona Mustapha, Maguindanao Sunday. 

The encounter between the group of the slain Ustadz Guiahudin Hadji Monib and personnel of the 33^rd Infantry Batalion that resulted in his death is feared to spark a serious misunderstanding anew between the MILF and the military, supposedly bound by a ceasefire pact. 

The 33^rd IB is a component-unit of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division. 

COTABATO CITY --- Policemen shot dead Thursday for resisting arrest the mastermind in the fatal 2018 ambush in Kapai, Lanao del Sur of five agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

Col. Christopher Panapan, Lanao del Sur provincial police director, said Friday a team was to peacefully serve arrest warrants to William Comayog Gandawali in his hideout in Barangay Pilintangan in Wao, Lanao del Sur but neutralized him instead when he pulled out a rifle and opened fire.

Gandawali was incumbent barangay chairman of Inudaran in Kolambugan town in Lanao del Norte. 

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two minor combatants and 49 supporters and couriers of the Dawlah Islamiya-Maute Group (DI-MG) surrendered to government troops in Lanao del Sur, military officials said Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario Jr., commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the surrenderers gave themselves up Monday at the headquarters of the Army's 51st Infantry Battalion in the Lanao del Sur town of Piagapo.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao  – Alert security forces of the Joint Task Force Central on Saturday foiled a bombing attempt in Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

Elements of the Army’s 40^th Infantry Battalion found the improvised explosive device in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Matagobong, Ampatuan, according to Colonel Oriel Pangcog, 601st Infantry Brigade commander.

The IED was found in a cornfield about 9 a.m. few meters from the highway in Barangay Matagobong. It was safely deactivated by Army bomb experts.

COTABATO CITY -- A lawyer and his driver survived today an ambush along a busy Santos-Rosal Street, Barangay Rosary Heights 6.

Atty. Ronald Torres was hersading for home on board his armored white Toyota Land Cruiser when gunmen on board a pick-up vehicle opened fire on him shortly before 5 p.m..

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack and the police are still investigating, said Colonel Rommel Javier, Cotabato City police director.  

Torres told reporters he has no known enemies and that the attempt on his life could be work related.

BULUAN, Maguindanao  – Unidentified gunmen on Friday dawn strafed the residential house here of former Mayor Ibrahim Jong Mangudadatu, police and relatives said.

Maguindanao Board Member King Mangudadatu in a statement, said nobody was hurt in the 1:30 a.m. strafing in Barangay Poblacion.

He said police recovered empty shells ng M16 Armalite rifle, M14 rifle, M1 carbine, cal.30 machinegun and empty shell for 40mm and M79 grenade around the former mayor’s home.

LEBAK, Sultan Kudarat - The primary suspect in the massacre of the family of four in Barnagay Datu Karon here Tuesday has surrendered and is now in police custody, Major Joel Martinez, Lebak police chief said in a statement.

Personnbel from Lebak MPS led by PMAJ Martinez together with 2nd SKPMFC Force Commander Lt. Colonel Josie Marie Simangan, RID 12 Tracker team Delta and 1Lt Marjoe F. Pedro of Charlie Coy 57IB helped find the suspect after the shooting incident in Sitio Tuka, Brgy Datu Karon of this municipality.

COTABATO CITY --- The director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region has approved the proposed creation of a special probe team to look into the March 19 murder of a retired police general who was public safety officer of the local government unit here.

Officials of PRO-BAR told reporters Wednesday the Bangsamoro region’s police director, Brig. Gen.  Arthur Cabalona, ordered the other day the activation of a special investigation task group to put closure on the brutal killing of retired Police Brig. Gen. Rolen Balquin.

COTABATO CITY --- Authorities impounded Monday a vehicle resembling the one used by the killers of the public safety officer of the city government who was killed in a daring attack here Saturday.

Retired Brig. Gen. Rolen Balquin, former director of the Cotabato City Police Office, was gunned down by men armed with .45 pistols while about to alight from his vehicle along Sinsuat Avenue here on Saturday morning.