COTABATO CITY (October 19) — A Dawlah Islamiya sub-leader wanted in six criminal cases and three of his armed companions were killed in a gun battle with police and military forces serving arrest warrants in Sultan Mastura, Maguindanao del Norte, on Friday afternoon, police said.
The suspect, identified as Yusa Ganoy, also known as “Minimi,” “Commander Usa” and “Yousa Ganoy,” was ranked fourth among the most wanted persons at the provincial level in Maguindanao del Sur and 11th in a periodic status report listing, according to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
Ganoy was identified as a sub-leader of the Dawlah Islamiya Hassan Group’s Alpha King faction. His three companions, whose identities were not immediately established, were also killed in the encounter at Sitio Masagana, Barangay Tapayan, at around 3:30 p.m.
In a report, the CIDG Regional Field Unit in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region said the joint police and military team had moved into the area to serve six active arrest warrants against Ganoy.
These included a non-bailable warrant for destructive arson issued on October 8, 2021, by the Regional Trial Court Branch 13 in Cotabato City, under Criminal Case No. 2021-12651.
Ganoy was also wanted under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 in a case filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 1 in Iligan City, Lanao del Norte, under Criminal Case No. 23-28066. The warrant was issued on June 15, 2023.
Other warrants involved double murder, qualified direct assault with multiple attempted murder, direct assault and multiple frustrated murder, according to the CIDG report.
Police said Ganoy and his companions opened fire as the operating team approached to serve the warrants, prompting government forces to return fire. All four suspects were killed at the scene.
Scene of the Crime Operatives recovered an assault rifle, three .45-caliber pistols and a live improvised explosive device, the report said.
Authorities have linked Ganoy’s faction to bombings in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, as well as alleged contract killings and destructive arson incidents in Maguindanao del Sur. The police report did not provide details on the specific incidents attributed to him or the status of those cases.
The operation was conducted under Oplan Pagtugis and Oplan Paglalansag Omega, with the CIDG Cotabato Field Unit leading the team alongside the CIDG Regional Special Operations Team and Regional Intelligence Unit-15.
Support came from the Philippine National Police Special Action Force’s 41st and 4th Special Action Battalions, the Sultan Mastura police station and naval intelligence personnel from the 1st Intelligence Company of the 2nd Marine Brigade under the Naval Intelligence Security Group-Eastern Mindanao.
The CIDG said the operating units complied with Supreme Court guidelines on serving arrest warrants and used two alternative recording devices to document the operation.
Ganoy was also listed as Priority Sanction Target No. 11, according to the report.
His death removes a wanted figure from the group’s ranks, but authorities have yet to publicly establish how the operation will affect Dawlah Islamiya’s remaining leadership, weapons and capacity to carry out attacks in Mindanao.
The outcome also leaves questions about the wider security implications of the operation unanswered. Police have not publicly detailed the evidence linking Ganoy to the separate alleged atrocities or explained whether further investigations or arrests are expected.
