COTABATO CITY: Government forces and jihadists aligned with the notorious Islamic State (IS) clashed anew in Lanao del Sur before dawn on Saturday in Piagapo town near the camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The sources said a local group of militants, jihadists who have pledged allegiance to the IS and known to authorities as the Maute group, converged in the town recently. The relief team of Lanao del Sur and other humanitarian organizations dispatched groups to attend to the needs of the evacuees. Last month, the military clashed with the same group in Ragayan, Poona-Bayabao. A detachment was installed in the area following last year’s firefights in Butig, which was briefly taken over by the jihadists.

Source: Manila Times April 22, 2017 11:15 UTC