Identity of ‘foreign-looking’ terrorist probed

MANILA, Philippines — The body of a foreign-looking terrorist who was among the fatalities in the encounter in Maguindanao between government troops and members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters is up for DNA test.

“The SOCO is now conducting medico legal for the DNA. It is up to them to determine the identity of this foreign looking national,” Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Joselito Kakilala said on Tuesday.

The slain foreign-looking individual is believed to be one of five the international terrorists coddled by Mohammad Ali Tambako of the Justice for Islamic Movement, a supposed breakaway group of the BIFF.

Kakilala also noted the possibility that the foreigner was a member of the Jemaah Islamiyah operating in the Philippines and belonged to the international terror wanted list.

The foreigner was 5’8” tall and fair-skinned. He was killed in clashes over the weekend.

The military is conducting all-out offensive operations in North and Maguindanao against the Moro fighters and to arrest top terrorist Basit Usman, who escaped a police raid last January.

The military said 73 BIFF fighters have been killed and 33 were wounded, while four soldiers and 29 were wounded in the fighting.

At least 25,000 civilians have also been displaced because of the operations.