2016 Butig clashes

The Butig clashes began when a supposed "foreign and local terrorist organization" (FLTO), led by the Maute brothers, harassed the 51st Infantry Battalion, which had been manning a patrol base in Barangay Bayabao on February 20, 2016. Armored personnel carriers and troops were sent to Butig, while the military used two 520MG Defender helicopters to track down the armed men and conducted air strikes against them.

A lull in the fighting occurred that evening, but resumed at dawn the next.{{cite news|title=Lanao del Sur clash kills 5, wounds 1|url=http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2016/02/21/lanao-del-sur-clash-kills-5-wounds-1-458552|work=SunStar Cagayan de Oro|date=February 21, 2016|access-date=February 29, 2016}} According to Armed Forces of the Philippines sources, the skirmishes between Army forces and the Maute group turned into a full blown military offensive with troops using artillery, gunships, and armored personnel carriers against the terrorists.{{cite news|title=Terror ringleader killed in Lanao del Sur skirmish|url=http://www.mb.com.ph/terror-ringleader-killed-in-lanao-del-sur-skirmish|work=Manila Bulletin|date=February 24, 2016|access-date=March 1, 2016}}

The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Office of Civil Defense stated that approximately 2000 individuals evacuated their homes to avoid getting caught in the crossfire.{{cite news |last=Cahiles |first=Gerg |date=February 23, 2016 |title=Thousands displaced by ongoing firefight in Lanao del Sur |work=CNN Philippines |url=http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/02/23/thousands-residents-displaced-lanao-del-sur-firefights-afp-government-troops-jemaah-islamiyah.html |access-date=February 29, 2016 |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305130517/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/02/23/thousands-residents-displaced-lanao-del-sur-firefights-afp-government-troops-jemaah-islamiyah.html |url-status=dead }} According to Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, three soldiers were killed and six others were wounded in the sporadic firefights.

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = November 2016 Butig clash

| width =

| partof = the Moro conflict

| image =

| caption =

| date = {{Start date|2016|11|26}} – {{End date|2016|11|30}}

| place = Butig, Lanao del Sur, Philippines

| coordinates =

| map_type =

| map_relief =

| latitude =

| longitude =

| map_size =

| map_marksize =

| map_caption =

| map_label =

| result =

| status = Philippine government victory

| combatants_header =

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Philippines}} Philippines
{{flagicon image|Flag of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.svg}} Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Relief aid)

| combatant2 = {{flagicon image|AQMI Flag asymmetric.svg}} Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant

• Maute group

| commander1 =

| commander2 =

| commander3 =

| units1 = {{flagicon image|Flag of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.svg}} Armed Forces of the Philippines

• {{flagicon image|Flag of the Philippine Army.svg}} Philippine Army
• 15px Philippine National Police

| units2 = Unknown

| units3 =

| strength1 = Unknown

| strength2 = 200–300{{cite news|last1=Zambrano|first1=Chiara|title=Army presses offensive in Maute-held Lanao town|url=http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/27/16/army-presses-offensive-in-maute-held-lanao-town|access-date=November 28, 2016|work=ABS-CBN News|date=November 27, 2016}}

| strength3 =

| casualties1 = no deaths
30 wounded

| casualties2 = 63 killed
17 wounded{{Cite news |url=http://dulangan.com/article/news/ph-army-suffers-1st-death-in-butig-3/ |title=PH Army suffers 1st death in 'Butig 3' |work=Balitang Pinas |access-date=February 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106012045/http://dulangan.com/article/news/ph-army-suffers-1st-death-in-butig-3/ |archive-date=January 6, 2017 |url-status=dead }}

| casualties3 = 2,400 families displaced{{cite news|url=http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/11/29/1648619/butig-clashes-displace-more-2400-families|title=Butig clashes displace more than 2,400 families|work=The Philippine Star|date=November 29, 2016|access-date=February 21, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202141414/http://www.philstar.com/nation/2016/11/29/1648619/butig-clashes-displace-more-2400-families|archive-date=December 2, 2016|url-status=dead}}

}}

{{Campaignbox Moro conflict}}

On November 26, 2016, the Maute group, a militant organization which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, occupied the town of Butig in Lanao del Sur.{{cite news|last1=Zambrano|first1=Chiara|title=Troops bombard Maute militants as fighting enters third day|url=http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/28/16/troops-bombard-maute-militants-as-fighting-enters-third-day|access-date=November 28, 2016|work=ABS-CBN News|agency=ABS-CBN News. Agence France-Presse|date=November 28, 2016}}

The Maute group lost Camp Darul Iman in Butig to the Philippine military in June 2016. The November 2016 town seizure was reportedly in retaliation of an offensive launched by the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The Maute group seized the town of Butig in November 26 reportedly with 200 militants. By the second day, the group now with about 300 armed men with grenade launchers have occupied the old town hall building where they replaced the Philippine flag hoisted there with the Black Standard flag used by ISIS. They have also occupied the mosque and the national high school situated inside the town center. All roads leading to Butig was closed to the public. The Tactical Command Post in Lanao has sent reinforcements to aid Philippine soldiers fighting the Maute fighters in Butig. SF-260 trainer planes also dropped {{convert|150|lb|kg}} bomb in the occupied town center.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is reportedly coordinating with the government in dealing with the evacuees who fled from the town due to the clash.{{cite news|title=Dureza: Duterte taking bold steps to deal with Maute Group|url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/590396/news/nation/dureza-duterte-taking-bold-steps-to-deal-with-maute-group|access-date=November 28, 2016|work=GMA News|date=November 27, 2016}}

By the third day, most of the 17,000 residents of the Muslim-majority town has been evacuated to neighboring municipalities. The old municipal hall was also recaptured by government forces.{{cite news |last=Wakefield |first=Francis |date=November 29, 2016 |title=49 Maute members killed in ongoing Butig purge |work=Manila Bulletin |url=http://news.mb.com.ph/2016/11/29/afp-40-maute-members-killed-in-ongoing-butig-purge/ |access-date=November 29, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130232840/http://news.mb.com.ph/2016/11/29/afp-49-maute-members-killed-in-ongoing-butig-purge/ |archive-date=30 November 2016}}

Meanwhile, during the operation, suspected Maute Group members planted an IED outside the US embassy in Manila, and detonated another in a PSG and military convoy in Marawi that acts as vanguard party for President Duterte's visit in Marawi and Butig, wounding 7 PSG personnel and 2 soldiers.{{Cite news |date=2016-12-01 |title=Philippines raises terror alert after foiled Manila bomb plot |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-philippines-security-idUSKBN13Q49X |access-date=2022-12-10}}{{Cite web |date=2016-11-29 |title=7 PSG members, 2 soldiers wounded in Marawi roadside blast |url=https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/112670 |access-date=2022-12-10 |website=www.sunstar.com.ph |language=en}}

The offensive by government forces ended on November 30, 2016, with the military saying that the town was deserted and that surviving Maute militants are retreating to the mountains.{{cite news|title=PH military ends 5-day siege against Maute group|url=http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/30/16/ph-military-ends-5-day-siege-against-maute-group|access-date=November 30, 2016|work=ABS-CBN News|agency=Reuters|date=November 30, 2016}}

{{reflist}}

{{Rodrigo Duterte}}

{{Moro conflict}}

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Butig

Category:Battles involving the Philippines

Category:Moro conflict

Butig

Category:21st century in Lanao del Sur

Category:Terrorist incidents in the Philippines in 2016

Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2016

Category:February 2016 in the Philippines

Category:March 2016 in the Philippines

Category:November 2016 in the Philippines

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