Camp Vicente Lim, Laguna: Two suspected members of the Islamic State (IS) were arrested in separate operations in the cities of Cabuyao and Santa Rosa in Laguna at dawn on Thursday.

Police identified the suspects as Jimuel Dizon alias Ami and Eddie Boy Alejo alias Abdullah.

Dizon was arrested in a house in Mabuhay Subdivision, Barangay Mamatid, Cabuyao City, while Alejo was nabbed in Celina Homes 5 Subdivision, Barangay Tagapo in Santa Rosa City.

Intelligence Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group from the National Capital Region backed by the military, raided the reported hideouts of the suspects armed with search warrants issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Agripino Morga in San Pablo City.

The suspects were identified as members of Syuful Khilafa Fil Luzon, a group identified by security analyst Rommel Banlaoi as part of a fused group called “ISIS Philippines.”

But Philippine National Police Chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, said the suspects are members of the Rajah Sulayman Movement (RSM).

“They started in RSM. They are members of RSM but openly expressed their allegiance to IS,” he said.

Albayalde assured an airtight case against the suspects.

Seized from the house where Dizon was arrested were a fragmentation grenade, an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), a caliber .45 pistol, a caliber .38 revolver, assorted bullets, a laptop and a black IS flag.

Also found in Alejo’s place were two caliber .45 pistols with bullets, a fragmentation grenade, an IED and an IS flag.