According to this MSNBC report, the Philippine military announced a "U.S.-backed airstrike" has killed Zulkifi bin Hir, a.k.a, Marwan, a senior leader of the al-Qa'ida affiliate Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), who had a $5 million U.S. bounty on him. Also allegedly killed in the strike were the leader of Abu Sayyaf, Umbra Jumdail, and another senior JI leader.
The Philippine air force dropped four-500 lbs. bombs in the attack on a militant camp near Parang on Jolo Island, an Abu Sayyaf stronghold, killing at least 15 including the three HVTs. Marwan, a Malaysian, collaborated with Abu Sayyaf in bomb-making training, fundraising, and planning attacks against U.S. forces in the southern Philippines providing counterterrorism training to Philippine forces.
Details are still sketchy at this point, as the bodies were apparently removed from the area of operations by militants who survived the attack. But if true, this is a nice score in an often over-looked theater in the Global War on Terrorism (or whatever we are supposed to call it these days).
No comments:
Post a Comment