The Philippine National Police (PNP) has placed its units in central and western Mindanao on heightened alert following the killing of a top leader and bomb expert of the Dawlah Islamiyah–Hassan Group (DI-HG). 

On Tuesday, Acting PNP Chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said police forces are coordinating closely with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to prevent potential retaliatory attacks and to ensure public safety in the affected regions.

“Our personnel on the ground maintain a high level of alert and continuously strengthen defensive positions to deter any possible retaliatory attack while ensuring the safety and security of the civilian population, in coordination with the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” he said.

The military identified the slain suspect as Ustadz Mohammad Usman Solaiman, the alleged amir of the DI-HG, who was killed in an operation on 8 December in Barangay Satan, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur. 

Solaiman was known as an expert bomb maker, and his group has been linked to multiple bomb attacks targeting buses across Mindanao.

Nartatez assured the public that the PNP and AFP are fully prepared to secure communities and maintain peace and order in the region.

“We are ready to maintain stability in the area with the assistance of our colleagues in the military,” he said.

Nartatez called on residents to remain vigilant and to promptly report suspicious individuals or activities by armed groups. 

“I urge the public to remain calm and immediately inform authorities if you have information about these lawless elements or other local terror groups,” he said.