Raid on house of Maute leaders' mom yields guns, explosives

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines — Police and military personnel seized firearms, war materiel and explosives on Tuesday as the government continued its offensive against the Islamic State-inspired Maute Group in Butig town, Lanao del Sur.

 

But an Army ranger was killed and a police commando was wounded in ongoing operations, Maj. Filemon Tan Jr., spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said.

 

Tan said combat police and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group personnel and soldiers from the 65th Infantry Battalion under the Joint Task Force ZamPeLan served the search warrant at the house of Farhana Maute, mother of the Maute brothers who lead the group, at around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

 

Tan said a brief firefight ensued as the occupants of the house resisted during the raid.

 

He said a member of the Regional Public Safety Battalion was wounded in the operation.

 

Tan said the Maute group also sustained undetermined wounded but managed to escape.

 

On Monday afternoon, an Army ranger was killed in a firefight with 20 members of the Maute Group.

 

Tan said the fighting started past noon Monday. Troops recovered one Rocket Propelled Grenade launcher, several RPGs, and a chainsaw after the incident.

 

The remains of the slain soldier were brought to the 103rd Infantry Brigade headquarters and later transferred to a local funeral home.

 

Tan said the Army ranger was the lone government fatality since it launched an offensive the other week to flush out the Maute Group from Butig town.

 

He said the government has also had 38 soldiers wounded in action as of Tuesday morning.

 

“The enemy has, to date, incurred 63 killed and 17 wounded,” Tan said.

 

Tan said bombardment continued to pound the positions of the Maute Group in the outskirts of Butig town.