Mindanao Armed Conflict

COTABATO CITY  – Police are looking at family feud as the motive in the murder of a town councilor in Malabang, Lanao del Sur on Friday.

Captain Karl Vince Centinaje, Malabang municipal police chief, said the murder of Councilor Aksara Marohomsalic Balindong at 5 p.m. could be traced to a “rido” (family feud).

But Centinaje said police investigators are also looking at other possible motive.

KIDAPAWAN CITY—-A police intelligence officer survived a gun attack as he drove home around 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the town of Carmen, Cotabato province.

The Cotabato police identified the officer as Sgt. Abejay Dandan, who was going home to the village of Kibudtungan when he was attacked by motorcycle-riding gunmen.

The gunmen fired repeatedly at the officer’s vehicle, hitting him in different parts of the body.

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Four Isulan public market bombing suspects were apprehended in a joint law enforcement operation launched by the government forces in Sitio Nakan, Barangay Kapaya, Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat on Monday, the Army today said.

Apprehended were Hassan Akgun, a Swedish national; Abedin Camsa; Normia Camsa; and Norshiya Camsa.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao  – The military here announced today the recovery of assorted firearms from a safehouse in Datu Salibo, Maguindanao believed to be from IS linked armed group.

Major Gen. Diosdado Carreon, the commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division and Joint Task Force Central, said the firearms were seized by elements of 57^th Infantry Battalion and 1^st Mechanized Infantry Battalions in several abandoned houses in Barangay Butilen, Datu Salibo, Maguindanao at 5 a.m. Thursday.

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Military troops nabbed three local terrorists and recovered their firearms Wednesday morning in Lanao del Sur.

Janla Tangolo, 20, Arapat Tangolo, 22, and Kamarudin Sultan, 20, were arrested by soldiers of 49^th and 82^nd Infantry Battalions in Barangay Paridi, Piagapo at 5am on September 18.

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Through the support of the civilian community, troops of the Joint Task Force Sulu were able to recover 700 kilograms of Ammonium Nitrate and one 81mm mortar fuse in Barangay Latih, Patikul, Sulu.

Troops of the 63^rd Mechanized Company acted on a report received from a local resident about the presence of a suspected explosive device in an abandoned house in their locality.

Ammonium Nitrate is considered as a deplorable component for explosives due to its cratering charge effect when mixed with fuel substances.

ZAMBOANGA CITY - Amid the conduct of focused military operation, troops of the 41st Infantry Battalion encountered more or less 40 Abu Sayyaf Group members under Almujer Yadah, Ben Tattoh, and Apo Mike in Sitio Tubig Pansol, Barangay Langhub, Patikul, Sulu at 11:39am Tuesday.

Heavy firefight ensued which lasted for 20 minutes, after which, enemies scampered to different directions allowing the troops to overrun the enemy encampment that can accommodate at least 40 individuals.

SULTAN KUDARAT --- Authorities are certain the group of radical cleric Abu Toraife was responsible for Saturday’s bombing in Isulan town that injured eight people.

Abu Toraife, whose real name is Abdulmalik Esmael, is leader of one of three factions in the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, blamed for all bombings in central Mindanao since 2011.

ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat - The Army here condemned Saturday morning's bombing at the public market that left eight injured.

“We criticize and condemn the latest IED attack in Isulan that victimized not only our forces who dutifully perform their mandated task but also the civilians who were in the vicinity of the explosion,” Colonel Efren Baluyot, Commander of the 1st Mechanized Infantry (Maaasahan) Brigade, said.

This came after an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) explosion on a public market in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat at 7am today, September 7.

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- A village official was killed in an ambush while a former barangay executive was injured in another incident here in the region, a police official said Thursday.

Maj. Helen Galvez, Police Regional Office-9 (PRO-9) information officer, identified the victims as Mario Japal, a councilor in Barangay Maligue, Isabela City, Basilan; and Tuayong Salam Laudin, 68, former barangay chairperson of Suhaile Arabi, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.