Soldiers from the 103rd Brigade of the Philippine Army, are in hot pursuit of the Maute criminal group n Butig town in Lanao del Sur. (Photo by : Richel V. Umel, Inquirer Mindanao)
Fighting between government forces and local terrorists known as the Maute group started in February when the rebels attacked a military detachment in Butig town, Lanao del Sur province.
The weeklong encounter left 24 rebels and two soldiers dead as well as some 20,000 people displaced.
It is being blamed for the bombings of transmission towers of National Grid Corp. of the Philippines and the abduction and beheading of sawmill workers from Iligan City in Lanao del Norte province in April.
Two months later, another round of military operations led to the fall of Camp Darul Iman, the group’s main camp in Butig.
In October, three members were arrested for the Sept. 2 bombing at a night market in Davao City, which killed 15 people and injured 70 others.
Seized from the suspects were materials for making improvised explosive devices (IED), which was detonated through a cell phone. The military has said that the Maute group has an extensive stock of IEDs.
A month later, another suspect who claimed to be a member of Dawlah Islamiyah, an affiliate of Maute group, surrendered to authorities for his participation in the Davao City bombing. —COMPILED BY INQUIRER RESEARCH
Sources: Inquirer Archives