Mindanao Armed Conflict

COTABATO CITY --- Christians in Sulu province prayed together for their safety amid the somber commemoration of the first anniversary of the Jolo cathedral bombing that killed 26 worshipers.

There has not been any closure yet to the January 27, 2019 attack that also injured 116 other churchgoers.

Monsignor Romeo Saniel, apostolic administrator of the Vicariate of Jolo, on Wednesday called on Catholics in Sulu to continue praying for the full recovery of surviving blast victims from injuries and trauma.

COTABATO CITY -- Suspected members of the Dawlah Islamiya shot and wounded an off duty soldier in another attack here Sunday.

Private 1^st Class Ryan Itao, who is assigned in the headquarters of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division in Datu Odin Sinsuat town in Maguindanao, sustained bullet wounds in the shoulder and neck.

He was on a motorcycle when he was attacked while motoring through the De Mazenod area in Barangay Rosary Heights 5 northeast of Cotabato City.

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Four drug personalities with alleged ties with the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were killed while a soldier was wounded in a clash in the province of Tawi-Tawi, military officials said Monday.

Brig. Gen. Camilo Balutan, Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi commander, said the firefight occurred around 5 a.m. Sunday in Barangay Lakit-Lakit, Sapa-Sapa, Tawi-Tawi, when the troops of the Marine Battalion Landing Team-6 (MBLT-6) chanced upon a group of gunmen while conducting a "focused military operation."

MAGUINDANAO --- Two feuding Moro clans ended Sunday their bloody “rido” that exacted a number of fatalities on both sides.

Rido means clan war in the Maranaw and Maguindanaon vernaculars.

JOLO, Sulu — Brgy. Saldang, Parang, Sulu at about 3:00 PM, Police received an information that there were two suspicious armed persons riding on a motorcycle in the vicinity of So. Gagandilan, Brgy. Tagbak, Indanan, Sulu. Acting on the information, personnel of Indanan Municipal Police Station immediately proceeded to the area and upon arrival thereat, the two suspicious persons riding the motorcycle fled towards Parang, Sulu town direction upon sensing the arrival of responding PNP personnel.

LANAO DEL SUR --- Police agents shot dead Wednesday an uncooperative suspect in the Nov. 10, 2019 ambush of Mayor Nasser Pangandaman of Masiu, Lanao del Sur that left his security escort dead.

The shootout erupted when Jalaloding Mocsir, wanted for a series of murders, and cohort Nasrullah Capal, pulled out guns and opened fire on the team approaching their hideout in Saguiaran town to arrest them.

Mocsir and Capal both died in the spot from multiple gunshot wounds, according to Col. Madgani Mukaram, director of the Lanao de Sur provincial police.

COTABATO CITY --- A police lieutenant and a civilian tipster were killed Sunday in an operation meant to entrap large-scale drug dealers in Indanan town in Sulu that went haywire.

Lt. Sali Aspi Salim of the Sulu provincial police and the vigilant villager who helped them plot the sting both died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Gunmen on board a pick-up truck ambushed and killed the vice mayor of Baliguian, Zamboanga del Norte and two of his companions along a lonely highway in Barangay Santa Maria, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

The ambush occurred at 11:20 a.m., according to Major Edison Alviar, acting police chief of Siocon town.

Alviar said Baliguian Vice Mayor Gani Ismale was driving the dark blue SUV with three escorts traveling to Baliguian when about five gunmen on board a pick-up truck overtook them and opened fire, using long and short firearms.

KIDAPAWAN CITY – The highest military commander in central and western Mindanao has proposed the creation of a “Joint Task Force” for Region 12 and the Bangsamoro region to effectively combat terrorism and illegal drugs.

The proposal from Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana for the creation of joint task force is seen as the best strategy to resolve armed conflict, insurgency and illegal drug trading.

Sobejana presented his proposal to the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) meeting held in Koronadal City last week.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – JTFC security forces together with the Midsayap MPS recovered several high powered firearms and war materials in Barangay Nabalawag of Midsayap, North Cotabato.

The combined troops conducted a joint Law Enforcement Operations on 1230 noon time of December 27 2019 upon receiving information from concerned civilians of the presence of suspected BIFF members in Brgy Nabalawag, Midsayap.