Government soldiers guard members of the Maute extremist group on a military truck bound for the Lanao del Sur provincial jail in Marawi City. They were arrested at a military checkpoint on Aug. 22, but they were freed by their comrades in a daring jailbreak on Saturday. AFP FILE PHOTO
The Maute Group, one of several terrorist groups in Mindanao, has reportedly pledged allegiance to the Daesh, or Islamic State, that is sowing terror in Iraq and Syria.
The group, which early last year was estimated to have about 80 to 100 members, is reportedly led by the brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute. It is also known as part of the emerging Khilafah Islamiya Movement, which is said to be made up of radical Islamists.
According to an earlier report quoting military intelligence, the Mautes are believed to be involved in the drug trade.
The group has been blamed for the bombings of power transmission lines and towers in Mindanao and the abduction of six sawmill workers from Iligan City last year.
In September last year, its members were blamed for a night market bombing in Davao City that killed 15 people. Two months later, they were tagged by the Philippine National Police in a failed attempt to detonate a bomb near the US Embassy in Manila.
“This discovery leads us to believe that the Maute group has already established a presence here in Metro Manila,” PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa said in March.
Sources: Inquirer Archives