Philippines Aquino Demands Rebels Surrender Top Militant

Yahoo News (off AFP)

07 February 2015

Philippine President Benigno Aquino Friday demanded Muslim rebels surrender a top terror suspect who escaped a bloody police raid or be “run over” in a government manhunt.

In a televised address, Aquino sought to calm public outrage over the death of 44 police commandos in a chaotic bloodbath that targeted two most-wanted terrorists.

Zulkifli bin Hir, better known as Marwan and a key suspect in the 2002 Bali bombings, was believed killed in the raid. Abdul Basit Usman — accused of taking part in at least nine bombings in the Philippines — is thought to be hiding with rebel groups.

…Zulkifli’s death was the “most significant terrorist kill in recent years,” international terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna, of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told AFP.

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