Daulah Islamiya Amir, 4 members killed in Maguindanao clash –military

A newly-appointed Amir and leader of the Daulah Islamiya (DI) terrorist group and four other members were killed in an armed confrontation with Joint Task Force Central forces in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on Thursday.

In an Army report, the leader was identified as a certain Asim Karinda alias Abu Azim, who replaced Salahudin Hasan as Amir and leader of the terror group after Hasan was killed by military troops on October 29, 2021 in Damablac, Talayan, Maguindanao.

The Army said Karinda was also a trained IED fabricator and bombmaker.

Commander of Joint Task Force Central and 6th Infantry Division Major General Juvymax Uy confirmed the report by the government security forces, adding that Azim was killed along with four other DI members.

Lieutenant Colonel Charlie Banaag, Commanding Officer of the 6th Infantry Battalion and whose forces clashed with the group of Azim, reported that the gunfight happened around 1:30 a.m. of Thursday, December 2, 2021 which lasted for an hour.

“Our ground forces recovered the bodies of Azim and his 4 followers after the firefight,” Banaag said, adding that government forces did not suffer any casualty.

The other killed DI members were identified as Fahad Salipada alias Naz, known as the close-in security of Salahudin Hasan; Hamsallah Ganoy Salangani; Salah Salipada; and alias Tatoks.

The remains of the five fatalities were turned over to local officials for proper burial and disposition.

On October 29, 2021, former Amir of Daulah Islamiya, Salahudin Hasan, was neutralized during a military operation in Talayan, Maguindanao, along with his wife Jehana Minbida, who was also identified as the Finance Officer of Daulah Islamiya.

On December 1, 2021, the son of DI Sub-leader Hasan Indal, identified as alias Adsam, was killed by JTF Central forces in Brgy. Ganta, Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao.

The military reported that almost 300 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and Daulah Islamiya returned to the folds of the law since January of this year.

“I continue to call on the remaining members of the BIFF (Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters) and the DI to surrender and return to the folds of the law. Your government is willing and ready to help you live normal and peaceful lives with your family. Let us not waste this opportunity and instead work together for the sake of the next generation,” Uy said. —LBG, GMA News