Last of Marawi siege key plotters dead, DNA tests show

MANILA: Philippine security officials said that DNA tests have confirmed the death of the last known surviving leader of an alliance of extremists that laid siege for five months to the southern Philippine city of Marawi two years ago.

Benito Marohombsar was one of the extremists killed in clashes last month.

He went by the name Abu Dar, and had also been referred to as Human Abduj Najib.

The information about Abu Dar’s death was given by Colonel Romeo Brawner, commander of an army brigade in Marawi, in text messages to reporters yesterday.

Col Brawner had referred to a report by US forensic investigators.

“It is confirmed. It’s Abu Dar’s remains. Well, for now his group is leaderless,” Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said yesterday.

A source in the military said hair samples between Abu Dar and his children were tested.

“We’ve known about it since last Monday, but we did not receive the papers till Thursday,” he said.

He said President Rodrigo Duterte was supposed to reveal the information during a scheduled visit to Marawi, but the event was cancelled.

Abu Dar was killed with three other militants in Tuburan town in Lanao del Sur province, 880km south of the capital Manila.

Marawi city is located in Lanao del Sur.

He was at the time known to be leading Daulah Islamiyah, one of a multitude of factions that drew militants from the Philippines and abroad still fighting for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

Security officials said Abu Dar’s death signalled the end of Daulah Islamiyah. — The Straits Times/Asia News Network