A student of slain terrorist and bomb expert Abdul Basit Usman was killed following an encounter with police and military personnel implementing a search warrant in Maguindanao yesterday.
The military identified the suspect as Murad Ali alias Abu Mohammad, a resident of Brgy. Kitango, Datu Saudi, Maguindanao.
Personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Autonomous Region Muslim Mindanao (CIDG-ARMM), Regional Intelligence Division-ARMM (RID-ARMM), the Army’s 603rd Brigade, 12th Intelligence Security Unit (ISU), 5th Special Forces Battalion and 19th Infantry Battalion, were serving a search warrant against the suspect at 1:30 a.m. in Barangay Capiton when the suspect resisted.
The warrants for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and illegal possession of firearms was issued by Judge Alexander M. Betoya of the Regional Trial Court 12th Judicial Branch 15, Cotabato City.
Recovered from the scene was a 60 mm, a fragmentation grenade; an Ingram defaced, seven pieces of 9 volt battery; 16 pieces blasting cap; nine battery connector; four pieces cutting tools; four pieces cellular phone; a hand held radio; detonating cord; one unit GPS; and a laptop.
The seized items were brought to the custody of CIDG ARMM for documentation and proper disposition.
The military said Ali is a member of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a bomb instructor and prodigy of Basit Usman, who was killed during a shootout in Sitio Talanaken in Guindulungan, on May 3, 2015.
Before his death, Usman was the head of the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the BIFF, splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He was also linked to the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). (Francis Wakefield)