Like Marwan, Usman’s finger cut off

Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan and Basit Usman. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO and AFP PAO FILE PHOTO

Reminiscent of the fate of slain terrorist Marwan, a finger of alleged terrorist bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman was also cut off after he was killed in Maguindanao on May 3, 2015.

The chief peace negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) confirmed Thursday that a finger of Usman was severed but denied that the rebel group did it.

“Kumpirmado yon,” (That’s confirmed) Mohagher Iqbal said over radio dzMM, referring to the cutting of one of Usman’s finger.

BACKSTORY: We killed Usman, says MILF

Iqbal said they did not know who took Usman’s finger.

“Hindi naming matukoy kung sino ang gumawa,” (We can’t say who did it) the MILF official said.

This developed a day after the Armed Forces echoed the claim of the rebel group that members of the MILF’s 118th Base Command killed the bomb maker on Sunday in Guindulungan, Maguindanao.

Earlier, a military source said that Usman was killed in a secret military operation that entailed recruiting one of the terrorist’s close aides and making this turn against him.

Another claim forwarded by AFP Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang said that Usman was killed in infighting by his men.

READ: Infighting over $1-M bounty seen behind Usman killing – AFP

Five close-in aides were also killed with Usman, the AFP source said.

While insisting that the MILF killed Usman, Iqbal denied that their men killed the five companions of the terror suspect.

“Malabo yon,” (That’s doubtful) said Iqbal, while saying that he did not know all the details of the incident.

Again, while reiterating the “official” statement that the MILF neutralized Usman, Iqbal said they did not immediately get control of his body.

“Nung mapatay na siya (Usman), hindi namin nakuha ang bangkay,” (When he was killed, we did not get hold of his body) Iqbal said.

He hinted that the MILF men who killed Usman left behind his body after killing him. He said whoever cut off the terrorist’s finger did it after the MILF left.

“Baka dun lumusot ang mga tao na ganun ang ginawa,” (Perhaps that was the time when someone cut off his finger) Iqbal said.

It can be recalled that the finger of Marwan, whose real name was Zulkifli bin Hir, was also cut after he was killed by members of the police Special Action Force on January 25, 2015. The finger was to be used to confirm his death and may serve as evidence to claim the $5-million bounty put on his head by the US government.

Usman had a $1-million bounty from the US government and another P6.3 million from the Philippines.

Iqbal denied that Usman was killed so that the MILF could collect the bounty.

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