Two alleged members of local terrorist Maute Brothers group were killed while another member was captured in a law enforcement operation in Iligan City on Friday morning.

Captain Jo-Ann Petinglay, Western Mindanao Command spokesperson, said the encounter occurred while government forces were conducting checkpoints in response to a reported carnapping incident around 8:45 am.

Petinglay said the government forces launched their operation after members of Maute Group flagged down and took a white Ford Ranger XLT pick-up owned by a businessman Othelo Adiong.

She said Adiong was with his mother Elvira Adiong, 62, his wife Esthepanie Adiong and their son. They were going to their store when they were ordered to step down from the car by armed men along C3 road Brgy Ubaldo Laya, Iligan City.

Petinglay said Special Action Force policemen chased the white Elantra vehicle of the carnappers and intercepted it along Camague Road. They arrested the driver identified as Eyeman Alonto.

“Meanwhile, the Ford Ranger which was driven towards the opposite direction by the carnappers was intercepted along the boundary of Iligan and Tagoloan, Lanao del Norte by the responding personnel from the CAA patrol base under 4th Mechanized Battalion of the Philippine Army,” she said.

Petinglay said the suspects fired at the government forces on checkpoint and blocking positions that causes a fire fight which resulted to the death of two enemies later identified as Azzam Ampua Tahir and a certain Wowie, both from the Maute Group.

She said the suspects was turned over to the PNP Iligan City for proper disposition.

“Also recovered by the troops were an M4 rifle with three magazines and 60 rounds of ammunition and a Caliber .45 pistol belonging to the group,” she added. Robina Asido/DMS