Five days after the Mindanao Star Bus bombing along the national highway of Aleosan, North Cotabato, the 6th Infantry Division neutralized the mastermind along with three extremists during a manhunt operation in Carmen Saturday.

Maj. Gen. Juvymax Uy, commander of the Joint Task Force Central and 6th Infantry Division, identified the mastermind as a certain Norodin Hassan alias Andot, the known emir for military affairs of the Daulah Islamiya Hassan Group .

“The death of alias Andot and 3 of his cohort only shows that justice is given to the victims of the Mindanao Star Bus bombing,” Uy said.

On January 11, an improvised explosive device was detonated inside a Mindanao Star Bus unit while plying along the national highway of Aleosan, North Cotabato, killing a five-year-old child and wounding six passengers.

Army and police bomb experts conducted an investigation to identify the bomb signature and the suspects. Further, intelligence reports and information from civilians helped security forces to track down the perpetrators and launch a manhunt a day after the explosion.

Col. Jovencio Gonzales, commander of 602nd Brigade, identified two of the three associates of alias Andot as Abdonillah Hassan alias Don and Abdonhack Hassan alias Abdon, while another one is yet to be identified.

Firearms and war materials were seized from the suspects.

“After we identified the perpetrators who are responsible for the bombing attack, we immediately launched the manhunt operation in order to prevent them from doing similar atrocities in other areas thus preventing further loss of lives and damaged to properties,” Gonzales added.

Since the last quarter of 2021, several high-ranking Daulah Islamiya personalities have been neutralized by 6ID forces. Two were Salahuddin Hassan, emir of Daulah Islamiya – Philippines and Asim Karinda alias Abu Azim, newly appointed emir of DI. Division Public Affairs Office Office, 6th ID