By AARON RECUENCO
The alleged mastermind of the 2018 New Year’s Eve mall bombing in Cotabato City was killed in a brief gunfight with authorities who tried to arrest him on Tuesday morning, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.
Gen. Debold Sinas, chief of the PNP, identified the slain suspect as Abraham Abad Abdulrahman, who uses the alias Abu Suffian. He was reportedly the one who planned the mall bombing that left two dead and 30 others injured.
Sinas said a woman believed to be a partner of Abdulrahman was placed under police custody while six minors were turned over to the local social works and development office.
Abdulrahman was killed when police served the arrest warrant against him in Barangay Bagua, Cotabato City.
Based on the PNP data, Abdulrahman was a member of the Dawlah Islamiya who attended bomb-making training in 2015 in Barangay Butril Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat under the late Mohammad Jaafar Maguid a.k.a. Tokboy Maguid of the Ansar al-Khilafah Philippines (AKP).
He reportedly took part in the siege of Butig and Marawi City, Lanao del Sur with the Maute Group. He escaped the military-police operation in Marawi City along with some widows of fallen jihadists and sought refuge in Maguindanao.
Sinas said latest intelligence monitoring revealed that Abdulrahman had been operating under Salahuddin Hassan and bomb expert Abu Naim, under the direct supervision of Abu Turaife of the Daulah Islamiyah for whom he was purchasing bomb components and medical supplies.
The raiding team recovered a 60mm high-explosive mortar projectile, IED components, and a motorcycle, according to Sinas. (Aaron Recuenco)
