Police, CIDG arrest 2 suspects in Mamasapano massacre

MAGUINDANAO --- Authorities arrested on Friday in Shariff Aguak town two bandits involved in the January 25, 2015 hostilities in Mamasapano town that left 44 police commandos and several others dead.Lakiman Dawaling and Mustapha Tatak, both members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, were nabbed by combined personnel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the provincial police office Friday morning in the town proper of Shariff Aguak.Dawaling, Tatak and companions attacked a team from the police’s Special Action Force while retreating from Barangay Pidsandawan in Mamasapano after killing there wanted Malaysian terrorist Zulkilfli bin Hir, most known as Marwan, before dawn on January 25, 2015.The encounter, now known as the infamous Mamasapano incident, left 44 SAF members dead.A second group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which also clashed with other SAF teams that assisted in the raid of Marwan’s hideout, lost 17 guerillas in the incident.Senior Supt. Agustin Tello, director of the Maguindanao provincial police office, said they learned of the presence of Dawaling and Tatak in the town proper of Shariff Aguak from vigilant barangay elders and local officials.He said personnel of Army mechanized units in the municipality provided manpower support in carrying out the raid that led to the arrest of the duo.