FBI confirms death of Marwan, target of PNP SAF in Mamasapano assault

Published April 2, 2015 4:34am

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Wednesday it has confirmed that Zulkifli bin Hir, one of its "most wanted terrorists," was killed in a raid in the Philippines in January.

The FBI had offered $5 million for the arrest of bin Hir, a Malaysian member of the al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah militant group behind numerous bombing attacks in the Philippines.

Investigators said they had a difficult time confirming bin Hir's death because he was killed in a gruesome raid that went awry and left 44 police commandos dead.

Previously, the FBI reported that it had identified body matter at the scene that it believed belonged to bin Hir because of a DNA link between the matter and one of his siblings.

Three years ago, the Philippine military reported bin Hir died in an air strike, but he surfaced again last year in Mindanao under protection of a Moro Islamic Liberation Front splinter group.

In a statement, David Bowdich, assistant director in charge at the FBI Los Angeles Field office said the agency has now taken bin Hir off its Most Wanted Terrorist list and thanked the Philippine police.

"Once again, the men and women of the FBI express sincere condolences to the brave officers of the Special Action Force who lost their lives while attempting to apprehend this dangerous fugitive," Bowdich said.

High-value target

Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan, the main target of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force on Jan. 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao.

Marwan was one of three high-value targets of the SAF operation.

The Mamasapano assault became an hours-long firefight between the elite police force and members of the MILF, its splinter group Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), and other private armed groups.

A total of 67 people died in the Mamasapano clash, including 44 SAF officers, 18 MILF members, and five civilians.

Marwan reportedly planned to bomb M'Lang and Midsayap in North Cotabato together with Singaporean Jemaah Islamiyah member Muawiyah and another foreign jihadist.

According to sources in the military, Marwan at 4 a.m. of Jan. 14 met with Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Special Operations Group, said to be a rogue faction of the MILF, and Pentagon Kidnap for Ransom Group in General Salipada K. Pendatun, Maguindanao.— with Reuters/ELR, GMA News

Tags: marwan, mamasapanoclash, zulkiflibinhir