Maguindanao sur: The military here has announced that a former leader of the Moro extremist group who yielded to the government last year died of cardiac arrest on Sunday afternoon in Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao del Sur, following a strafing incident at his house.

According to Philippines News Agency, Lt. Col. Ronald Suscano, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, identified the fatality as Esmail Abdulmalik, alias Abu Turaife, former leader of the violent extremists Dawlah Islamiya-Abu Turaife Group, who, along with his men, embraced peace last year and surrendered to the military.

Suscano stated that Turaife was inside his house in Barangay Pusao when unidentified gunmen arrived and opened fire for still unknown reasons. 'Abdulmalik was not hit, but suffered cardiac arrest and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival,' Suscano said.

Suscano mentioned that no one in Turaife's immediate family was hurt in the strafing. He was immediately laid to his final resting place according to Islamic rites. Military and police authorities in Shariff Saydona Mustapha town are still determining the motive and the identities of the suspects.