Top Dawlah Islamiyah bomber slain in encounter

The military said Monday, Dec. 8, that they are pursuing the remaining members of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Hassan Group (DI-HG) following the death of its most senior leader and top bomb expert in an operation in Shariff Aguak town, Maguindanao del Sur province on Sunday, Dec. 7.

- By MARTIN SADONGDONG

Ustads Mohammad Usman Solaiman, the amir or leader of the DI-HG, was killed in an encounter with the 601st Infantry Brigade in Barangay Satan, according to Brig. Gen. Edgar Catu, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigade.

Solaiman, a seasoned bomb maker and nephew of notorious Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) bomb expert Basit Usman, was tagged as one of the most dangerous DI-HG operatives in Central Mindanao.

According to the 6th Infantry Division, Solaiman and Norodin Hassan, alias Andot, who serves as the group's amir for military affairs, were among the last senior lieutenants of former DI-HG leader Abu Azim, who was killed in 2021.