AFP intel verifying death of JI target

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief, Gen. Alexander Yano revealed yesterday intelligence efforts to validate reports of the killing of a Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) operative in last Sunday’s gun battle with government troops in Sulu.

Yano said there are reliable reports that “a high value” al-Qaeda-linked JI operative was among the five terrorists killed by government troops during the assault on the suspected hideout of Abu Sayyaf leader Radullan Sahiron in the dense jungles in Barangay Bubunga, Patikul town.

Yano, however, did not elaborate on the identity of the so-called high value target killed by troops during the encounter.

“We have such report and we will continue verifying it because we have not recovered yet any dead body,” Yano said.

Anti-terror Task Force Comet chief Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban earlier also did not substantiate reports that a JI militant was among those killed during the assault.

Sabban said troops in the area failed to retrieve the bodies of the slain JI terrorist or any of the Abu Sayyaf bandits since they had been dragged away by their fleeing comrades.

Yano also pointed out that he could not elaborate in the absence of proof.

Reports of the fighting in Patikul triggered speculations that it could either be Dulmatin or Umar Patek who was killed by the Marines.

Dulmatin and Patek are both wanted by the US government and regional security forces for the bloody bombing of a resort in Bali, Indonesia in October 2002 that killed over 200 people and wounded scores of tourists.

Both fled to southern Philippines where the notorious Abu Sayyaf under Sahiron gave them refuge in exchange for training homegrown extremists.

“There were very reliable reports (to) that effect (killing of JI militant) so until we have finally confirmed we cannot say definitely what happened,” Yano stressed.

Yano admitted the military has no definite identities of the five who were killed by the Marines in Sulu. – With James Mananghaya, Roel Pareño