A decision by Zaidan’s allies to integrate armed elements into state security forces in Iraq is seen as an effort by a pro-Iranian element to consolidate power, masking a deeper Iranian strategy.

Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Datu Ali Midtimbang has offered a P300,000 cash reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects in the ambush-slay of five police officers in Shariff Agu, an incident that adds to a broader surge in violence targeting state security forces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

State security forces in Buenavista town, Quezon province, recovered high-powered firearms allegedly buried by members of the New People’s Army (NPA).