By Jelly F. Musico
MANILA, April 6 (PNA) – Malacanang is pleased by the report that the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has confirmed that it was Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan who was killed in the Oplan Exodus carried out last January 25 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a media briefing in Malacanang that the FBI’s report certainly confirmed what the Special Action Force (SAF) commandos of the Philippine National Police (PNP) have “successfully done” in neutralizing the notorious Malaysian bomb expert.
”We are pleased at the successful but at the same time, we do recognize, as did the FBI, we grieve also for the death of our 44 SAF commandos,” Lacierda told the media.
The Oplan Exodus was a mission to arrest Marwan and his Filipino companion Abdul Basit Usman who was able to escape the operation.
”While we have known this for a long time, perhaps it took a third party like the FBI to confirm, because of some DNA comparison that indeed the person neutralized by the SAF commandos was Marwan,” Lacierda said.
The mission, however, turned bloody after 44 of the 392 elite forces of the PNP were killed in an almost 11-hour firefight with the combined forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and private armed groups. (PNA)