Manila: Philippine security forces killed six alleged terrorists in a shootout at dawn on Friday in South Cotabato province in the southern Philippines, the military said.
Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander, said the fighting broke out around 5:00 a.m. local time in a village in South Cotabato province when troops were about to serve an arrest warrant on Arafat Bulacon, an alleged “sub-leader of Dawlah Islamiyah terrorist group.”
Bulacon and his five men allegedly fought it out with the team serving the two warrants, Uy said, adding that the six died at the scene. Bulacon was allegedly behind the 2018 bombing in General Santos City and a series of criminal activities in South Cotabato.
Two policemen were also wounded in the clash, Uy said.
Uy said the forces recovered one 5.56 M4 rifle, two 12-gauge shotguns, two 38-calibre revolvers, one 5.56 pistol, an improvised explosive device, and an Islamic State flag.