[GMA News] The Philippine miliatary on Saturday said it is verifying reports that a suspected foreign terrorist was killed in a series of assaults against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters early this week in Maguindanao.Westmincom spokesperson Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay said in a statement that there are persistent reports that Indian-Singaporean terrorist Mohammad Ali bin Abdulrahman, alias Muawiyah, were among 21 terrorists slain in air and ground assaults launched against targets in Barangay Tee in Datu Salibo town from March 13 to 16.
Abdulrahman had reportedly acted as a negotiator for the Abu Sayyaf and is known as a 'dangerous' Jemaah Islamiyah operative.
Petinglay said that also reported killed in the attacks were Salahuddin Hassan, a local terrorist and bomber trained by Abdulrahman and Esmael Abdulmalik, alias Abu Toraype, a brigade commander in the BIFF.
She said that Abdulrahman and the two local terrorists were associates of terror suspect Marwan, who had been confirmed killed by elite troopers in Mamasapano town on January 2016.
Recovered during the operations were bomb-making manuals, five improvised explosive devices and several IED components. Petinglay said, "The recovery from the area of manuals of IED-making indicates that the slain terrorists were giving instructions on how to assemble explosive devices and launch bombing attacks."
Petinglay said that Abulrahman's group had also provided training for new recruits, including members of local terror Maute group based in Lanao.