8 more Dawlah Islamiya bandits surrender to Army
Mindanao Armed Conflict • 09:30 AM Sat Mar 28, 2020
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By:
John M. Unson
The firearms turned over by five Dawlah Islamiya bandits to the 90th Infantry Battalion. (Contributed)
COTABATO CITY ---- Eight more members of the outlawed Dawlah Islamiya, the group blamed for all deadly bombings in central Mindanao in recent years, surrendered in separate rites Friday.
Five of them, Saed Sadam Malsek, Mahir Mumna Datumanong, Abdullahsid Zuarto, Moktar Saed Pangalao, and Usman Abu Ali, yielded to the 90th Infantry Battalion under the Army’s 601st Infantry Brigade.
They turned in assorted firearms before renouncing their membership in the Dawlah Islamiya at the battalion command post of the 90th IB in Datu Anggal Midtimbang town in the second district of Maguindanao.
Col. Jose Narciso, commander of the 601st Brigade, said Saturday the five Dawlah Islamiya members decided to surrender through the intercession of the 90th IB and municipal officials.
The Dawlah Islamiya, also known as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, operates in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
The group, which has a reputation for bombing non-military targets to avenge losses in encounters with the military, has been trying to sabotage the current peace process between Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Three other Dawlah Islamiya bandits, Bhuto Oledad, Ebra Kamedon and Saudi Montawal from Barangay Dalgan in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao, also surrendered to the 7th Infantry Battalion under the 602nd Brigade.
They turned over their firearms to the 7th IB and pledged allegiance to the Philippine flag, after having been convinced by local executives and Army officials to abandon the Dawlah Islamiya and live normal lives anew.
The commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, Major Gen. Diosdado Carreon, who has jurisdiction over the 601st and 602nd Brigades, said Saturday he is thankful to the municipal leaders and the military officers who convinced the eight Dawlah Islamiya to return to the fold of law.
Carreon said they are expecting the surrender soon of more Dawlah Islamiya members following the fall last week of the group's largest enclave, located in the hinterland border of Maguindanao's adjoining Ampatuan and Datu Hoffer towns, after 10 days of military offensives that resulted in the deaths of four soldiers and 17 terrorists.
More than a hundred Dawlah Islamiya bandits have surrendered in batches to units of 6th ID since 2017.