Alleged Maute bomb expert killed, Abu Dar’s wife arrested in GenSan

An alleged Maute Group bomb expert was killed while the wife of the group's supposed new leader was arrested in General Santos City on Monday.

Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson Major Ezra Balagtey identified the fatality as Najib Calimba Pundog alias Najib Hussein, allegedly a bomb expert with the ISIS-inspired group. He was killed during an inter-agency operation at around 2:15 a.m. at Zone 3, Block 5, in Barangay Fatima.

The inter-agency group, composed of personnel from the Joint Task Force GenSan and Regional Mobile Force of the Philippine National Police Office 12, was serving a warrant of arrest against Pundog for murder, kidnapping and serious illegal detention when he supposedly "resisted and fought" the arresting team.

A Glock pistol and hand grenade was recovered from Pundog, said Balagtey.

A police officer, whose name was not disclosed, was wounded during the operation against Pundog and was brought to a hospital in General Santos City.

Abu Dar's wife nabbed

A follow-up operation conducted at around 7 a.m. resulted in the arrest of Nafisa Pundog, the wife of Owayda Benito Marohombsar alias Abu Dar.

Nafisa, who escaped from Marawi City Jail in 2016, was included in the Department of National Defense Martial Law Arrest Order No. 1. She has a standing warrant for illegal possession of blasting cap/incendiary device at her safe house in Purok Maunlad, Barangay Apopong, General Santos City. — BM, GMA News