Soldiers seize IEDs found in abandoned Dawlah hideout 

MAGUINDANAO --- Soldiers seized a dozen home-made bombs and components for powerful roadside explosives abandoned by Dawlah Islamiya gunmen following a brief encounter on Thursday morning.

Personnel of the Army’s 57^th Infantry Battalion, a unit of the 601^st Brigade, also recovered in the surroundings of the Dawlah Islamiya hideout in Shariff Saidona Mustapha town in Maguindanao assorted medicines for common ailments and blasting powders for improvised explosive devices.

Lt. Col. Edwin Alburo, commanding officer of 57IB, said Thursday the operation that resulted in the confiscation of the cache was launched after villagers notified them of the presence of armed men in Shariff Saidona fabricating IEDs.

The terrorists scampered away after a brief exchange of gunfire with members of the 57^th IB advancing towards them from two directions.

The Dawlah Islamiya, also known as the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, is blamed for all the deadly bombings in central Mindanao in the past five years.

The group is feared for its wanton use of IEDs against non-military targets to avenge losses in encounters with pursuing Army units.

Col. Jose Narciso, commander of the 601^st Brigade, said they have long been anticipating retaliations by the Dawlah Islamiya for the deaths of more than 30 members in Army anti-terror operations in the past six months in Maguindanao.

Forces of the Dawlah Islamiya, operating in the fashion of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, are concentrated in interior areas in the adjoing Datu Salibo, Datu Saudi, Shariff Aguak, Shariff Saidona and Datu Piang towns, all in the second district of Maguindanao.