Philippines Military Identifies IS-Linked Militant Killed as Indonesian Named ‘Mohisen’
The Philippine Air Force’s newly acquired FA-50 jets take part in operations against IS-affiliated terror groups in the mountains of Lanao del Sur province.
Cotabato, 01 Jumadil Awwal 1438/29 January 2017 (MINA) – Philippines military has identified one of the four Islamic State-linked militants killed in bombing operations in the southern Philippines as an Indonesian.
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Indonesian as having the alias “Mohisen” was one of the four accompanying wanted IS-linked terrorist Isnilon Hapilon on his mission to create a caliphate in Mindanao.
The military initially identified one of the four killed as a Malaysian.
He said Hapilon was wounded in the military air strikes three days earlier in the mountain town of Butig, Lanao del Sur and intelligence indicated he was being carried by four men in a makeshift stretcher.
Hapilon is on the United States list of “Most Wanted Terrorists” and has a US$5mil (RM22.6mil) bounty on his head from Washington for the 2001 kidnapping of three Americans in the Philippines, two of whom had been killed.
Security analysts say the IS group has recognised Hapilon as its leader in South-East Asia.
The military said it was making sure that no innocent lives are lost in the anti-terror operation in Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur by conducting “surgical air strikes” on specific targets.
The Philippine Air Force said two Korean-made FA-50 jets and helicopter gunships conducted the aerial assaults.
The FA-50s dropped bombs over rebel positions in Butig on Wednesday, the first time the newly acquired fighter jets had been used in combat.
There will be no sheelter for terrorist
In the wake of the military operations, President Rodrigo Duterte warned Moro rebels to “forget about peace” if they provide sanctuary to terror groups being pursued by government troops in an ongoing offensive backed by fighter jets and helicopter gunships in Mindanao.
According to the report, Duterte issued the warning to the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday when he visited soldiers who had been wounded in clashes with the Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups, which had pledged allegiance to the IS group.
Leaders of the MILF and the MNLF, which had signed separate peace deals with the government, assured the President on Saturday there will be no shelter for terrorists in their camps. (T/RS05/RS01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
