By Robina Asido

Government forces killed two alleged top officers of Daulah Islamiyah including the "Amir of the Islamic State of Southeast Asia" in a joint law enforcement operation in Marawi on Wednesday morning.

Lt. Gen. Roy Galido, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command chief, identified the ISIS Amir in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia as Faharudin Hadji Satar alias Abu Zacaria.

Abu Zacaria was killed at 1:30 am in a 10-minute clash as joint military and police forces were conducting law enforcement operations to serve warrants of arrest against Zacaria in Barangay Bangon, Marawi City.

In a follow-up operation, Joharie Sandap, alias Mursid, the alleged sub-leader of Zacaria, was killed around 6 am.

Maj. Andrew Linao, WesMinCom spokesman, said after the clash the government forces recovered 60mm mortar, two grenades, and two M16 rifles from Zacaria.

Linao said the government forces also conducted a follow up operation in the same barangay that resulted in the death of Joharie Sandap alias Mursid, the sub leader of Zacaria around 6am.

Linao said the arrest warrants for the two covered murder, frustrated murder and arson.

"There is also a warrant of arrest targeting his (Zacaria's) sub leader which is at the same time the finance and logistics officer of Daulah Islamiyah sub leader Philippines," he said.

Linao said recovered from Mursid's possession includes an "M16, one Glock pistol and an explosive ordnance."

In an interview when he was the 103rd Infantry Brigade Commander in 2022, Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II the present commander of the 4th Infantry Division said Abu Zacaria took over as the ISIS emir in Southeast Asia "sometime late last year" or (2021).

Galido said the neutralization of the two terrorist leaders is a "manifestation that the government is really bent on eliminating Islamic radicalism especially propagated by ISIS" in the Philippines.

"You cannot measure terrorism on their strength but on their network to wreak havoc because they operate on small groups, but what is important (is) their leadership, specifically their think-tank, their efforts are curtailed, we have curtailed their operational direction," he said.

"Hopefully this would be a reminder for those who espouse radicalism to be radicalized already because the government will go after them," he added.

Linao stressed that the neutralization of Zacaria and Mursid will have an impact on the terrorist group but he noted that the military will not be complacent and assured that the military will also go after the other terrorist members.

"We will not be complacent and in compliance with the... we will still target the members and other faction group leaders because they are still there but the neutralization of the overall emir here in the Philippines will play a big role in the overall campaign of ISIS in the country," he said.

"It will be difficult for them. They will not sanction an operation unless there is an Amir, at the same time we have neutralized finance and logistics officers which will provide sustainability in their terrorism operation," he added.

Linao said based on their latest monitoring the current strength of ISIS is around 100, with "45 Maute group members, 35 Hassan group members, 10 Maguid group members and seven others." DMS