THE military said on Thursday it discovered the remains of civilians believed executed by members of the Maute-Islamic State (IS) group in Marawi City, which is still being cleared by government troops from terrorists.
The remains of about four to six people were discovered by elements of the Army’s 51st Infantry Battalion at around 9:47 a.m. on Wednesday in an area identified by the military as one of the execution sites of the terrorist group.
“The skeletal remains are believed to be that of six individuals whom the Maute/ASG Sayyaf [Abu Sayyaf Group] executed in the early part of the crisis as shown on the video released by them and posted on the internet,” the Joint Task Force Marawi said.
Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command commander Lt. Gen Carlito Galvez Jr. said, “The brutal execution is proof of their un-Islamic ways. These terrorists do not respect anyone or anything.”
“While these terrorists kill people indiscriminately, respecting no one in trying to dissect our land, our soldiers will continue to liberate Marawi City, bearing in mind that this city belongs to our Maranao brothers and sisters, and this land belongs to the Filipino people,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, commander of Joint Task Force Marawi, also condemned the brutal ways of the “Maute/ASG”.
“These brutal and inhuman actions of the Maute/ASG will not go unpunished. Our soldiers will do everything in their power to bring these terrorists to justice. We owe this to the victims, we owe this to our people,” Bautista said.
“We will pursue the Maute/ASG terrorists who attacked and caused the destruction of Marawi. We will make the Maute/ASG terrorists accountable in the destruction of Marawi and the countless crimes they committed against our Maranao brothers and sisters, and the whole Filipino nation,” he added.
The discovery of the six bodies brought to 45 the total number of civilian cadavers recovered by soldiers.
Meanwhile, the Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi and members of the Tawi-Tawi Provincial Police Office arrested on Thursday two members of the ASG, wanted by Malaysian authorities for kidnapping charges.
The suspects were identified as Ara Samindi and Omad Harun alias Halipa, who were nabbed at Lagaan Island and at Poblacion, respectively, both in Taganak, Tawi-Tawi.
Joint Task Force Tawi-Tawi commander Brig. Gen. Custudio Parcon said both suspects were connected to the ASG and kidnap-for-ransom leaders Alden Bagadi alias Sayning, Majan Sahijuan alias Apo Mike and the late-Abraham Hamid, all subleaders of the ASG based in
Sulu.