On February 18th, the Philippine Army (PA) reported that six soldiers and three militants were killed during an engagement in the town of Munai, Lanao del Norte province, located in Mindanao. The PA also reported that four soldiers were also injured during the same operation.
The battle was part of a larger pursue and destroy operation the 1st Infantry Division (1ID) launched against the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group (DI-MG) in the aftermath of the December 2023 Marawi University bombing.
The encounter began at 2 p.m. local time in two areas of Munai and involved one platoon of soldiers and at least 15 DI-MG fighters. The six killed and injured soldiers belong to 1ID’s 44th Infantry Battalion, which also conducted the operation in conjunction with elements of the 3rd Scout Ranger Battalion. The firefight lasted for approximately two hours, with the DI-MG fighters retreating from the town and towards the southeast.
PA soldiers recovered items left by the militants, such as M14, M16, and M203 rifles, ammunition, and other equipment, according to a 1ID statement. The soldiers also recovered one body that the militants left before after they retreated from the battle. 1ID Commanding General, Major General Gabriel Viray III, gave his condolences to the families of the soldiers killed during the encounter and commended the units for their “swift and decisive actions.”
The Chief of Staff for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, General Romeo Brawner Jr., said that the military will continue to pursue the militant group. Brawner also paid tribute to the six soldiers killed during the operation.
