Soldiers kill 3 Maute members in Lanao del Sur clash

FILE – The fight to extract members of the Maute Group in Butig town, Lanao del Sur province, brought soldiers, like this trooper patrolling a village in Marawi City, on a hunt to annihilate the rest of the terror group. —RICHEL V. UMEL

MARAWI CITY – Three alleged members of the Maute terrorist group were killed in a clash with government forces in Poona Bayabao, Lanao del Sur on Tuesday morning.

Col. Nixon Fortes, chief of the 103rd Army Brigade, said soldiers also recovered three M14 rifles, an M16 rifle with a grenade launcher, ammunition and improvised explosive devices.

Originally based in Butig town, the Maute group, which has been blamed for the kidnapping, bombing and extortion activities in some parts of Mindanao, was trying to establish a base in Poona Bayabao, Fortes said.

But Fortes said there will be no letup in the military’s operations against the group, which allegedly has allied with the Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf, another bandit group.