ILIGAN CITY—Four people, including two suspected local terrorists whom authorities described as IS-inspired, were killed in separate but related incidents in Lanao del Sur on Friday morning.
Col. Roseller Murillo, commander of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade based in Marawi City, said the first incident took place in Buadipuso Buntong town when civilians Panundi Sultan and son, Noble, were verifying the reported presence of a group of armed men in an area in Barangay Gata mid-morning on Friday. They were killed when fired at by the armed men.
Upon hearing that the father and son were killed, Sultan’s relatives—who were also armed—retaliated and engaged the armed men in a shootout, Murillo said.
One of the men, who was wearing a headband with the IS symbol, was killed in the process while his companions had retreated.
Murillo described the slain armed suspect as IS-inspired.
The second incident took place in Barangay Lilod in Maguing town, where elements of the 65th Infantry Battalion clashed with the retreating group from Buadipuso Buntong.
He said in the Maguing encounter, soldiers also killed one of the armed men and recovered an M-4 assault rifle.
“We are closely monitoring the movement and veracity of reported locally-inspired ISIS group operating in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City,” Murillo said.