Military probe to confirm if JI leader among dead in anti-BIFF operation

From the Business Mirror (Mar 18, 2019): Military probe to confirm if JI leader among dead in anti-BIFF operation

The military is validating whether regional terrorist Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) leader Mauiyah was among the casualties in its ongoing offensive against the Islamic State-affiliated faction of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao, which has entered its seventh day on Sunday and has already resulted in the confirmed killing of Abdul Rahman, an Arab terrorist.

Mauiyah, a Singaporean and leader of the Indonesian-based JI who is in the country, were among the five foreign terrorists that included Rahman, two other Arabs and an Indonesian who were the focus of the military operations in the areas of Shariff Aguak-Pagatin (Datu Saudi), Mamasapano and Datu Salibo—the so-called SPMS box in Maguindanao—where the local terrorists operates.

Mauiyah and the four other foreign terrorists were in the company of the group of Esmael Abdumalik, alias Abu Toraife, the head of the IS-affiliated faction of the BIFF, when the military initiated its operation against the group on Sunday last week, commencing at Barangay Inaladan in the town of Shariff Saidona Mustapha.

“We could not yet confirm if Mauiyah was among the casualties, but there is no longer proof of life,” Army’s 6th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said on Sunday.

“The residents, those who were displaced, confirmed that he was in the area just minutes before the bombing began,” he added, referring to the bombing run carried out by the Air Force and the artillery strike by the Army during the start of the massive operation at Inaladan before it spread into other areas under the SPMS box.

During the operation, Rahman and Toraife’s two deputies, Salahuddin Hasan and Commander Bastardo, were killed along with several members of the BIFF. Hasan was a known bomb maker, having been trained by Mauiyah and the JI.

Sobejana said the massive operation was continuing in adjoining barangays under the SPMS, although some of the residents affected by the conflict have begun to return to their homes, especially in Inaladan where some of the houses were earlier occupied by the terrorists.

At least 20,000 people were forced to leave their homes out of fear that they would be caught in the middle of the battle between soldiers and at least 120 terrorists who have since splintered into smaller groups as they try to evade the operating troops.

“The operation is continuing and, [up] until Saturday, we continue to recover IEDs [improvised explosive devices],” Sobejana said. “We are also poised to strike another area where the remnants have been consolidating.”

“They are no longer at Inaladan, they have already left the houses of civilians that they have earlier occupied,” he added. “We are already in full control of Inaladan as of today, and we are encouraging the residents to return back to their homes because there are a lot of IDPs [internally displaced persons].”

The military official said they would not however forced the residents to get back to their homes since their needs are also being taken care of in government-run evacuation centers.

https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/03/18/military-probe-to-confirm-if-ji-leader-among-dead-in-anti-biff-operation/