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Philippine military kills 11 Maute militants
 [Inquirer] The Philippine military yesterday said 11 members of the Islamic extremist Maute Group had been killed and five others injured during military operations in Butig, Lanao del Sur province, that began on Saturday.The army launched the offensive two days after 200-300 members of the group stormed the town center, occupied the old, abandoned municipal hall and even raised the Daesh flag there. "This prompted the immediate conduct of military operations focused on dislodging the lawless group. Two soldiers were slightly wounded while 11 members of the Maute Group were killed and at least five wounded," military spokesman Edgard Arevalo said in a statement. Arevalo advised residents remaining near the building to leave their homes as the military expected the clashes to last for a week. The military deployed planes to strike at structures near the town hall, such as the public high school and the mosque that were also being occupied by the Maute fighters. Arevalo said, "The group has … long been professing allegiance to the foreign terror group. This is still part of [its] agenda in courting support and encouraging similar-minded individuals to support ISIS." The old town hall used to be the group's stronghold until it was recaptured by the military in February. The group's final stronghold, Camp Darul Iman, a former Moro Islamic Liberation Front military camp in Butig, fell to the military in June. Security forces believe that militants from the Maute group were responsible for a bomb attack in the Davao City night market that killed 15 people in September partly in revenge for the June defeat. The Maute Group, composed of former MILF militants, is being led by brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute, who have pledged allegiance to Daesh and want to set up an similar Islamic state in Mindanao. On Saturday night, President Duterte raised the possibility of negotiating with the Abu Sayyaf and the Maute Group. Duterte said, "ISIS is really dangerous. That is why you have to use your head. Do not drive them to despair because that is precisely what happened in Africa." Posted by: ryuge 2016-11-28 |
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