AFP recovers high-powered firearms in Maguig, Lanao del Sur

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has recovered at least eight high-powered firearms in Maguig, Lanao del Sur which is an hour away from war-torn Marawi City.

Military spokesperson Major General Restituto Padilla Jr. announced the latest update during the Bangon Marawi briefing in Malacañang, as relayed by Joint Task Force Marawi, under the leadership of Brigadier General Roseller Murillo and Colonel Romeo Brawner.

The firearms recovered in a recent operation were two M16 machine guns, three M16 rifles, and three M203 grenade launchers buried somewhere in Barangay Torogan.

Padilla said these were recovered based on the information from civilian sources and conducted by two platoons from the Army's 65th Infantry Battalion.

"This kind of operations will continue until we address and arrest the proliferation of loose firearms that are in the area that may be source of potential threats," he said.

Meanwhile, the AFP also recovered more firearms and cleared more unexploded ordnance in Marawi City.

Padilla said that 16 more unexploded ordnances were found and addressed by combined teams of explosives ordnance disposal experts, as of Thursday.

He added that two more high-powered firearms were also recovered in the lake area, in addition to the 30 high-powered firearms recently recovered.

"And we will continue to do this until we are fully convinced that all the IEDs, all the traps, all the unexploded ordnance that may remain in the area have been found and addressed," Padilla said.

"This is to preclude any kind of hazard that may be faced by our civilians once we have opened up the area for the return," he added. — Trisha Macas/RSJ, GMA News