ZAMBOANGA CITY: Government troops pursuing pro-Islamic State (IS) fighters in Mindanao have recovered automatic weapons left behind by fleeing gunmen, officials said Tuesday, April 9.
Officials said no arrests had been made, but military operations continue against Dawlah Islamiya and other extremist groups.
"As the military steps up operations to end terrorism in Central Mindanao, operating troops recovered more firearms in Maguindanao del Norte on April 6," said Maj. Andrew Linao, spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command.
Linao said members of the 2nd Mechanized Battalion recovered assorted firearms and ammunition in the village of Labungan in Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao del Norte.
"The firearms were left by the members of the lawless armed group. Recovered firearms include one M14 rifle, two M16A1 rifles, one Garand rifle, two 12-gauge shotguns, one caliber.45 Thompson, and assorted ammunition," he said.
"Operating troops immediately coordinated with Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police Station for the proper disposition of the recovered firearms," he added.
He also quoted Lt. Gen. William Gonzales, chief of Western Mindanao Command, for commending the troops for their steadfast resolve to defuse the remnants of the different threat groups in Central Mindanao, as well as recover enemy firearms and war materiel.
"Rest assured that we will not rest on our laurels. We will carry on with our decisive military operations while we also intensify our civil-military operations to end terrorism and win lasting peace and progress here in Mindanao," Gonzales was quoted as saying.
Linao did not say how many soldiers were involved in the latest operations or the number of terrorists they are pursuing in Mindanao region.
The armed groups were tagged as behind the series of deadly attacks on civilian and military targets in the region.
Last December, Dawlah Islamiya members bombed a Catholic mass inside the Mindanao State University and killed several worshippers and followed weeks later with random attacks on soldiers.