From MindaNews (Jun 14, 2023): New ISIS emir in Southeast Asia killed in Marawi raid (By FROILAN GALLARDO)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 14 June)—Army soldiers raided a suspected hideout of the ISIS-linked Dawlah Islamiyah group dawn Wednesday in Marawi City and killed its leader, whom the military said was the terror group’s new emir in Southeast Asia.
The military blocks a road in Marawi City as troopers raided the house of suspected Dawlah Islamiyah leader Abu Zacaria, who was killed in the operation dawn on Wednesday (14 June 2023). Photo courtesy of Marawi Bayan Patrol
Col. Billy de la Rosa, 103rd Infantry Brigade deputy commander, said Faharudin Benito Hadji Satar, more popularly known as Abu Zacaria (sometimes spelled Zacharia), was killed in his hideout in Barangay Bangon, Marawi City at 1:30 a.m. The suspect apparently carries other names: Faharudin Pumbaya Pangalian and Jer Mimbantas among them.
The military said Zacaria was named the ISIS emir of Southeast Asia following the death of Owayda Benito Marahombsar or Abu Dar, then the region’s ISIS emir, who was killed by Army soldiers in Lanao del Sur in March 2019.
Dela Rosa said troops recovered a small cache of improvised explosive devices (IED) from one of the rooms of the apartment building the group rented in Barangay Bangon. He said Zacaria fought back by throwing a 60mm mortar improvised explosive device and two grenades at the raiding party led by Army Task Force Marawi.
An Army soldier identified as Private First Class Chrismar Tungpalal was reportedly wounded in the exchange of gunfire.
Dela Rosa said two M16 rifles were found in Zacaria’s hideout.
Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said that during a followup operation at 6:07 a.m., another key leader of the Dawlah Islamiyah—Joharie Sandab a.k.a. Morsid—was killed when he resisted arrest.
Galido said Morsid was in charge of the group’s finance and logistics.
Morsid fired upon the combined AFP and PNP troopers serving a warrant of arrest using his M16 rifle and threw a hand grenade but did not explode, said the WestMinCom chief. Government troopers fired back, killing Morsid.
Drieza Liningding, a leader of the Marawi Consensus group, said they woke up Wednesday morning to the sight of Army soldiers backed by armored personnel tanks searching for militants in Barangay Bangon.
“The entire village of Bangon is on lockdown. There are soldiers everywhere,” Liningding said in a phone interview Wednesday morning.
Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra said the lockdown was lifted by Wednesday noon after the army soldiers were satisfied that no companions of Zacaria was able to escape.
He asked Marawi residents to remain calm, adding that the Army and the police are on top of the situation.
Dela Rosa said they monitored the movements of Zacaria leaving the main group of militants two weeks ago after the clash in Marogong that resulted to the death of four militants.
He said from Marogong, they monitored Zacaria moving to Marawi City to rent a two-room apartment in Barangay Bangon where the military decided to arrest him.
“Our efforts were aided by former ISIS militants who helped us identity Zacaria,” Dela Rosa said.
Thousands of residents fled from Marogong town two weeks ago after Zacaria aired a threat over radio that the militants would seize the town. (Froilan Gallardo, with reports from Ferdinandh Cabrera and Richel Umel / MindaNews)
Col. Billy de la Rosa, 103rd Infantry Brigade deputy commander, said Faharudin Benito Hadji Satar, more popularly known as Abu Zacaria (sometimes spelled Zacharia), was killed in his hideout in Barangay Bangon, Marawi City at 1:30 a.m. The suspect apparently carries other names: Faharudin Pumbaya Pangalian and Jer Mimbantas among them.
The military said Zacaria was named the ISIS emir of Southeast Asia following the death of Owayda Benito Marahombsar or Abu Dar, then the region’s ISIS emir, who was killed by Army soldiers in Lanao del Sur in March 2019.
Dela Rosa said troops recovered a small cache of improvised explosive devices (IED) from one of the rooms of the apartment building the group rented in Barangay Bangon. He said Zacaria fought back by throwing a 60mm mortar improvised explosive device and two grenades at the raiding party led by Army Task Force Marawi.
An Army soldier identified as Private First Class Chrismar Tungpalal was reportedly wounded in the exchange of gunfire.
Dela Rosa said two M16 rifles were found in Zacaria’s hideout.
Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, chief of the Western Mindanao Command, said that during a followup operation at 6:07 a.m., another key leader of the Dawlah Islamiyah—Joharie Sandab a.k.a. Morsid—was killed when he resisted arrest.
Galido said Morsid was in charge of the group’s finance and logistics.
Morsid fired upon the combined AFP and PNP troopers serving a warrant of arrest using his M16 rifle and threw a hand grenade but did not explode, said the WestMinCom chief. Government troopers fired back, killing Morsid.
Drieza Liningding, a leader of the Marawi Consensus group, said they woke up Wednesday morning to the sight of Army soldiers backed by armored personnel tanks searching for militants in Barangay Bangon.
“The entire village of Bangon is on lockdown. There are soldiers everywhere,” Liningding said in a phone interview Wednesday morning.
Marawi Mayor Majul Gandamra said the lockdown was lifted by Wednesday noon after the army soldiers were satisfied that no companions of Zacaria was able to escape.
He asked Marawi residents to remain calm, adding that the Army and the police are on top of the situation.
Dela Rosa said they monitored the movements of Zacaria leaving the main group of militants two weeks ago after the clash in Marogong that resulted to the death of four militants.
He said from Marogong, they monitored Zacaria moving to Marawi City to rent a two-room apartment in Barangay Bangon where the military decided to arrest him.
“Our efforts were aided by former ISIS militants who helped us identity Zacaria,” Dela Rosa said.
Thousands of residents fled from Marogong town two weeks ago after Zacaria aired a threat over radio that the militants would seize the town. (Froilan Gallardo, with reports from Ferdinandh Cabrera and Richel Umel / MindaNews)
https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2023/06/new-isis-emir-in-southeast-asia-killed-in-marawi-raid/
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