MANILA, Philippines — A DNA test has revealed that a foreign national behind the recent foiled suicide bombing attack in Sulu was the son of an Islamic State member who carried out attacks in Egypt, the military said.
The DNA samples of the suspected young foreign suicide bomber killed last Nov. 5 was the son of the female foreign suicide bomber who attacked a military detachment in Indanan, Sulu on Sept. 8, the Joint Task Force Sulu said Wednesday.
The young foreign suicide bomber was identified as “Abduramil/ Yousoph” while the female attacker was identified as Reda Mohammad Mahmud.
Two Egyptians and one Filipino were killed in a clash with Philippine Army troops in Indanan, Sulu last Nov. 5. They were allegedly on their way to Jolo to carry out a suicide bombing attack. The suspects fired at the soldiers, triggering a firefight.
Bomb vests, a handgun, a grenade and detonators were seized.
The DNA samples of the adult foreign suicide bomber killed last Nov. 5 did not match with “Abduramil,” which shows that they are not related by blood.
“The result of the DNA test confirmed the intelligence report that the adult foreign suicide bomber identified as Baker Al Seddik Barakat a.k.a ‘Abduracman’ is only the stepfather of ‘Abduramil,’ the young foreign suicide bomber,” the JTF Sulu said.
‘ISIS connections’
Reda, meanwhile, was involved in the bombing of churches in Egypt in 2017 that killed 92 people and injured 252 others, the JTF Sulu said, quoting Police Col. Pablo Labra of Sulu provincial police office.
“She, together with Abduracman and her son Abduramil, traveled to Mindanao via backdoor channel to seek refuge with Abu Sayyaf in Sulu with the help of ISIS connections,” Pablo was quoted as saying.
Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., commander of JTF Sulu, said the results of the DNA tests show ISIS connections behind the suicide bombing attacks in Sulu.