Military forces in Lanao del Sur on Tuesday briefly clashed with Moro extremists in Lanao del Sur and recovered a machine gun, the military said today.
But the object of military action managed to elude arrest while fighting was raging on Tuesday afternoon.
Elements of 51st Infantry Battalion missed Dawlah Islamiya-Lanao leader Abu Zacariah, the alleged highest leader of IS linked Moro extremists in Mindanao.
Soldiers were checking on intelligence reports that Zacaria, the alleged emir of IS in the Philippines, was on board a white Mitsubishi adventure.