[DW] DNA tests have confirmed the death of the last known leader of an Islamist assault on Marawi city in the southern Philippines. Authorities feared that Abu Dar could use looted wealth to revivify the battered insurgency.Officials in the Philippines on Sunday confirmed the death of Owaida Marohombsar, who went by the nom de guerre of Abu Dar,
| ...more fully Owayda Benito Marohombsar. He was also known as Humam Abdul Najb, a cousin of the Maute brothers and successor to Isnilon Hapilon as emir. Abu Dar was a full-blooded member of the Maranao tribe, and grew up in Pagayawan town in Lanao del Sur... |
Marohombsar was one of few leaders to survive a 2017 attack on the city of Marawi, where he managed to escaped with large amounts of cash looted during the siege. Philippines authorities feared he would use the wealth to rebuild the Dawla Islamiya group, an alliance of pro-Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling
Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not
reallyMoslems....
(IS) fighters.
Manila confirmed the Islamist leader as one of four
The Philippines hailed the killing as a significant development that would hamper efforts by IS to establish a presence in the region.
PURSUIT OF REMAINING FIGHTERS
"This is another milestone in our campaign to finish and defeat ISIS and local terror groups in the country," said Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano, using an acronym of the Islamic State group.
"For now, his group is leaderless. We are monitoring who will replace Dar," said Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
The army's Brig. Gen. Romeo Brawner said troops would pursue Marohombsar's remaining fighters, based not far from Marawi.
LEADING FIGURE OF RESURGENCE
Marohombsar is believed to have escaped Marawi with a large amount of looted cash and jewelry. Regional official Zia Adiong estimated at the time that Marohombsar got away from Marawi with at least 30 million pesos ($580,000; €510,000) in stolen money.
According to a Philippine police profile, Marohombsar, a native of the Lanao del Sur region, which includes Marawi, underwent military and explosives training in Afghanistan in 2005.
| Oh? A made man, then. |
MONTHSLONG URBAN BATTLE
The Philippine government has signed a peace deal with the largest Moslem rebel group in the country, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The agreement has this year seen Moslem fighters become administrators of their own five-province autonomous region. The southern Philippines is home to most of the Roman Catholic nation's minority Moslems.
Remnants of the MILF gang, the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters
...a MILF splinter group aligned with the Islamic State...
, who earlier broke away from the main group, were responsible for the attack on Marawi.
Dawla Islamiya launched its attack on Marawi in May 2017 and fought within and around the city for five months. The assault was quelled after months of ground attacks and
s by the military.Among the Islamist leaders killed was Isnilon Hapilon, IS's anointed "emir" in Southeast Asia.