Military confirms death of Indonesian suspected bomber in Palimbang clash

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao -– One of the slain armed men suspected to be ISIS sympathizers following a clash with government forces in Sultan Kudarat was an Indonesian national suspected and a senior member of the Mujahideen Indonesian Timur (MIT), military officials here said.Major Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, 6thInfantry Division commander, identified the Indonesian as Ibrahim Ali, alias Hudzaifa who was earlier arrested for gun possession but later freed.Ali was killed in a clash with 6thMarine Battalion Landing Team Thursday in Barangay Butril, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat in a 5:30 a.m. encounter which lasted for about four hours, according to Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Salamat, 1stMarine Brigade commander.Salamat said the Marine forces and members of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and local police were to serve warrants of arrest for Mohammad Jaafar Sabiwang Maguid alias Commander Tokboy in Sitio Sinapingan, Barangay Butril, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat. (Read related story) But as government forces were approaching the village, they were fired upon by about 40 armed men, triggering a running gun battle.When the smoke was cleared, Salamat said, eight dead bodies were recovered but Commander Tokboy was not among them. He was believed to have fled at the height of the fire fight.Pangilinan told a news conference Friday that the Indonesian national was first arrested in Zamboanga City for illegal possession of firearms in 2005 but was released from detention in 2013 due to lack of merit of the case filed against him.He said Ibrahim Ali had since been monitored to be with Commander Tokboy after his release, teaching bomb making.Pangilinan identified the other fatalities as Abdul Halil, Tatuh Sumail and Kira Sabiwang, all resident of Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat.Marine forces recovered one cal. 50 sniper rifle, 20 rounds of ammunition for cal. 50, an M-16 Armalite rifle, a cal. 45 pistol, bomb making materials, ATM cards, Philhealth cards and six ISIS flags.Pangilinan said Commander Tokboy has four standing warrants of arrest and was involved in a series of atrocities and violence in the South Cotabato area since August 2008.He was previously apprehended in 2009 by the security forces at Maasim, Sarangani Province. However, he managed to escape from Bulantay Jail, Alabel, Sarangani after seven months of imprisonment. He had been a fugitive for half a decade and was engaged in various crimes that included cattle rustling, extortion, highway robbery and murders.Salamat said about 50 families have fled the village of Butril but the local governments and the Philippines Marines are attending to their needs.Pangilinan lauded all the operating troops involved in the operation.