KAUSWAGAN, Lanao del Norte (June 29, 2025) — A high-value member of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group was killed while his alleged accomplice was arrested during a law enforcement operation in Barangay Poblacion, Kauswagan, on Saturday afternoon.
Authorities identified the slain suspect as alias “Esmael,” a resident of Piagapo, Lanao del Sur, and listed as the sixth most wanted individual in the region based on the Periodic Status Report (PSR). He was facing charges of murder and attempted murder.
According to police reports, operatives attempted to serve an arrest warrant against Esmael at around 5:50 p.m. However, the suspect allegedly resisted arrest and opened fire, prompting a brief gunfight that resulted in his death. A 9mm pistol, believed to be used by the suspect during the encounter, was recovered at the scene.
Esmael was accompanied by another suspected Dawlah Islamiyah member, alias “Kurtobi,” 20 years old, a resident of Masiu, Lanao del Sur. He is ninth on the PSR list of wanted personalities and was apprehended at the scene. Authorities confiscated a .45 caliber pistol in his possession.
Initial investigations revealed that both suspects were allegedly involved in various armed encounters with government troops in 2024, including the deadly clash in Ramain, Munai, where several soldiers were killed. They were also reportedly present during a confrontation on April 29, 2025, where five of their comrades were neutralized.
Esmael is also believed to be the mastermind behind the bombing of a National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) tower in Kauswagan.
Authorities are preparing charges against the arrested suspect, while further investigations are ongoing to identify other possible members of the group and their activities.
The successful operation marks another blow to the Dawlah Islamiyah network as security forces intensify efforts to neutralize terrorist threats in the region.