Maj. Filemon Tan
Jr., spokesperson of Western Mindanao Command, told the Philippine Daily
Inquirer that 26 Abu Sayyaf bandits, including Malaysian jihadist Mohammad
Najib Hussein alias Abu Anas, were killed in the continuing operations in
Basilan.
The military
operation in the village
of Macalang in Al Barka
town started on December 15. It already left three government soldiers– Capt.
Vincent Cordero, the commanding officer of 8th Scout Ranger Company; Private
First Class Marctan Tirambulo of the 1st Scout Ranger Company; and Staff
Sergeant Jesus Tuting of the Marines Special Operations Group, dead.
At least 26
others soldiers, including two junior officers, were wounded in the fighting.
Tan said
different sources claimed that 26 bandits were killed and 16 others were
wounded in the clashes.
Col. Rolando
Bautista, commander of 104th Army Brigade, told the Inquirer that the death of
Hussein was confirmed by different sources.
“Despite these
reports, we continue to make validation so we can recover the body as proof,”
Bautista said.
Hussein was a
38-year-old Malaysian shopkeeper-turned-bomb-maker associated with the Islamic
State (IS). He is known as the key figure in the IS’ Black Flag cell of
Universiti Malaya professor, Dr. Mahmud Ahmad, alias Abu Handzalah, who has
been hiding with the Abu Sayyaf in southern Philippines .
Hussein
reportedly owned a photo and stationary shop in Universiti Malaya, Petaling
Jaya, but in July last year, fled Malaysia
with Mahmud and several other IS terror suspects to Southern
Philippines .
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