7 dead, 1 injured in Army’s Intel operation

MOH SAADUDDIN

Marawi City | February 17, 2017

Two Army’s intelligence officers and five civilians were killed while another soldier wounded on Thursday late afternoon when operatives encountered members of jihadists group while conducting Intelligence operation at Barangay Lilod-Madaya..

The international jihadists group claimed responsibility of the attack saying it was “Islamic State (IS) fighters who attacked them (soldiers),” IS’s Amaq news agency said in its bulletin Friday.

Officials said personnel from the Military Intelligence Groups 10 (MIG-10) and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) were aboard silver Isuzu crosswind for “intel operation” in the said village.

At 4:17 p.m., the operatives encountered suspected group of “Local Terrorist Group (LTG)” which resulted to a 10-minute a firefight.

The killed in action were identified only as Maj. Mangalus and Cpl. Libot while the wounded was also named only as Sgt. Cartilla. They were immediately brought to Amai Pakpak Hospital.

The military believed that they had scored undetermined numbers from the other side.

The 65th Infantry Battalion, under 103rd Infantry Brigade, launched pursuit operation against the suspects, the military added.

Meanwhile, the city police on Friday were investigating five dead civilians which cadavers were found near the clash site.

They were believed to have been killed in "crossfire" during the clashes, sources from local police officials said.