COTABATO CITY (April 14) — Government troops uncovered a cache of war materiel believed to have been left behind by remnants of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group in a remote village in Lanao del Sur, the military said Monday.
Acting on intelligence reports, soldiers from the 64th Infantry Battalion under the Army’s 101st Infantry Brigade conducted an operation over the weekend in Barangay Pabrica, Marogong, where the group had reportedly established a presence in the aftermath of the Marawi City siege.
Brig. Gen. Yasser Bara said troops uncovered equipment used for firearm fabrication along with an assortment of high-powered weapons components.
Among those recovered were 50 tube barrels for .50-caliber sniper rifles, a propellant cartridge, five suppressors compatible with Barrett sniper rifles, assorted ammunition, a 600-mm mortar tube, and a hand grenade.
The discovery suggests the area may have been used as a storage or assembly site for weapons, reinforcing concerns that remnants of extremist groups continue to maintain hidden logistical networks in parts of Mindanao.
The recovery comes amid shifting security dynamics across Mindanao, where authorities report significant gains against local extremist groups but continue to confront lingering threats.
Military operations over the past decade have weakened leadership structures and reduced fighter numbers, forcing groups like the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group to fragment into smaller, more covert cells. While large-scale attacks have declined, security concerns persist as remnants remain capable of regrouping, stockpiling weapons, and exploiting remote areas—particularly in provinces such as Lanao del Sur.
The shift from territorial control to hidden networks underscores the continued importance of intelligence-driven operations and sustained community vigilance.
Bara clarified that no armed fighters were encountered during the operation. However, troops have secured the area and are conducting follow-up sweeps to ensure no additional weapons caches remain.
The military continues to rely on intelligence-driven operations to prevent the regrouping of extremist elements and to limit their capacity to rebuild after earlier defeats.
