A file photo of Philippine policemen patrolling a street in Quezon City, the Philippines, on December 1, 2016. (Credit Image: © Rouelle Umali/Xinhua via ZUMA Wire)
MANILA: The leader of a Philippine armed group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group was killed Thursday in a clash with police, a spokesman said.
Three members of the Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines were also arrested after the firefight in the southern province of Sarangani, said Superintendent Romeo Galgo, a regional police spokesman.
Police dispatched officers to a beach resort in the town of Kiamba in Sarangani after being informed of the presence of armed men, Galgo said.
A shootout erupted when the suspects resisted arrest, he added.
Jaafar Maguid, leader of the Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines, was killed in the firefight, while three of his men were captured, Galgo said.
The Ansar Al Khilafah is one of a number of extremist groups in the southern Philippines that have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, including the Abu Sayyaf group.
President Rodrigo Duterte has directed the military to crush these groups, warning that they could be a source of recruitment for Islamic State. – dpa