BIFF leader, 20 followers charged with murder for Isulan blasts

GENERAL SANTOS CITY- Police have filed murder charges against the leader of a local terror group and more than 20 of his followers in connection with the spate of bomb attacks in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, which left five people dead and 50 others wounded.

Chief Supt. Elias Tam Rasco, Police Regional Office-12 director, said multiple murder charges have been filed against Esmael Abdulmalik alias Abu Toraife, the self-proclaimed leader of of ISIS-inspired faction of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and 24 other militants in conne3ction with the two bomb attacks which rock Isulan town on August 28 and September 2.

Rasco said the special investigation task group, headed by Sr. Supt. Oliver Enmodias, police deputy regional director for operations, filed the case against the suspects before the provincial prosecutor’s office in Isulan town.

He said the filing of the case against the terror suspects was the result of coordinated efforts among the police, military and other law enforcement units which shared intelligence information during the case build up to identify the suspects.

Probers were able to establish the identity of the suspected bomber who detonated an improvised explosive device which went off at a flea market in Barangay Kalawag 3 on the night of August 28 which killed three people and injured 35 others.

Police identified the bomb courier as Aladin Mohammad Kikay, said to be a newly-trained bomb expert of the BIFF.

Police said witnesses tagged Kikay as the one who left the back pack which contained the improvised bomb at a used clothes store, or “ukay-ukay” stall minutes before it exploded.