Hanoi (VNA) – Philippineauthorities said that the government forces on January 18 arrested three peoplein Cotabato province of Mindanao, in the southern of the Philippines, suspectingthat they have supported the self-claimed Islamic State (IS).
According to Maximo Sebastian Jr,head of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operation Task Group, the three suspectsnamed Zaidon Nilong, Danny Yang and Mario Sueb were captured in a raid in Lapuvillage on January 17.
Nilong was believed to be the nextleader of the Ansar Al-Khilafah, a terrorist group that related to IS, asformer leader Mohammad Jaafar Maguid was killed in an operation on January 5.
The Ansar Al-Khilafah group also hasinvolvement with the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups. It was responsiblefor an attack with grenades at a festival in Maasim town, which killed onepolice officer and injured dozens of people in 2016.-VNA