The military in the Philippines has confirmed that a senior leader of the Daesh province in the country was killed following a confirmatory DNA test. Owaydah Marohombsar, also known as Abu Dar, was on the country’s most-wanted list for his role in the 2017 siege of Marawi.
Abu Dar was one of those who plotted the siege, which would go on to become the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines. More than 1,000 lives were lost and hundreds of thousands of residents were displaced as a result of heavy combat lasting five months and leaving the city in ruins.
Last month the military said it believed that one of the bodies retrieved from a clash between soldiers and militants in Tubaran town, Lanao Del Sur, was that of Abu Dar. Former fighters identified Abu Dar’s body from physical features, such as a scar on his cheek.
As Daesh lost its footing in Iraqi and Syria, other strongholds especially in South East Asia especially the Philippines are gradually on a declining path. The death of Abu Dar is a major success as he is very instrumental in teaching radical interpretations of Islam with emphasis on the killing of infidels.
