A Muslim extremist who recently escaped from jail with convicted bomb-maker Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi has been killed by Philippine soldiers. Abdulmukim Edris was apprehended with another suspected militant at an army checkpoint in southern Lanao del Norte province. Both were shot after a scuffle with soldiers.
| They will be missed. By their Moms. Maybe. |
Edris was thought to be a member of the brutal kidnapping group Abu Sayyaf. He escaped from a police jail on 14 July, with another suspected Abu Sayyaf member, Omar Lasal, and al-Ghozi, who is thought to be a high-ranking member of the South East Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiah. Their escape was a source of international embarrassment for Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
| Gloria's been having a bad month. Since she hasn't had anybody shot in either major incident, she'll have more bad months in the future... |
Edris was detained at the checkpoint on Thursday, after soldiers recognised him from a wanted poster, said military spokesman Lieutenant General Roy Kyamko. He was accompanied by a man identified as Mahmud Ismael, who was believed to be a commander of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which officials accuse of having links with Jemaah Islamiah.
| The very same bunch of crooks and sadists the gummint's having "peace talks" with right now... |
After his arrest, Edris volunteered to lead the troops to al-Ghozi’s hideout, which is thought to be in the area, Mr Kyamko said. But on the way, both Edris and Ismael tried to grab the soldiers’ weapons. "They grabbed the firearms of the soldiers, there was a commotion and they were shot," Mr Kyamko said. "Both of them were killed."
That’s very, convenient. Shame that they couldn’t be questioned about who helped them escape. |