Soldiers kill wanted bomber in North Cotabato encounter

NORTH COTABATO -- Personnel of the Army’s 602ndBrigade shot dead a wanted bomber who has a P1.2 million reward on his head in an encounter Monday afternoon in Matalam, North Cotabato.The slain suspect, Mohammad Nor Hassan, was a member of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, blamed for most of the deadly bombings in central Mindanao in the past three years.Hassan belonged to a group of BIFF gunmen trained in handling and fabrication of improvised explosive devices by Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, who was killed in a police operation in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on January 25, 2015.Col. Nolly Samarita, commanding officer of the 602ndBrigade, said soldiers were to peacefully arrest the suspect with the help of local officials but resisted and started a gunfight that resulted in his death.Samarita, in a report Tuesday to Major Gen. Carlito Galvez, Jr. of the Army’s 6thInfantry Division, said they learned of the presence of Hassan, also known as Kamarudin Sulayman, in Barangay Central Malamote in the outskirt of Matalam from barangay officials and local leaders.The spokesman of Galvez, Lt. Col. Markton Abo, said credit also has to go to the local government unit of Matalam and MILF commanders who provided information on the exact location of Hassan last Monday. The team brought two warrants for his arrest issued by a local court in connection with his involvement in IED attacks, Abo said.Abo said instead of yielding peacefully, Hassan shot the soldiers dispatched to serve the two warrants for his arrest. The soldiers were forced to neutralize him so as not to endanger their lives, Abo said.Galvez, who has jurisdiction over the 602ndBrigade based in Carmen town in North Cotabato, confirmed that Hassan carried a P1.2 million reward on his head.