Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, lies dead in his hut after a surprise raid by members of the Special Action Force commandos on January 25, 2015 in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao, one of five provinces under the restive Muslim autonomous region in southern Philippines. (See photo of thatched hut near a river in Tukanalipao village where Marwan was killed.)The bomb expert with a $5-million reward on his head shot it out with the police raiding team and was killed.(Mindanao Examiner – Mark Navales)
Contributed photo of slain Special Action Force commandos in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao province in Muslim autonomous region in Mindanao. (Mindanao Examiner)
SPECIAL ACTION FORCE arrived 10 p.m. January 24 at Mamasapano town in Maguindanao and at 2.30 a.m. January 25 started moving towards target in the village of Tukanalipao and at 4.30 a.m. , their target – Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan – was taken down and finger cut off DNA testing.
At 5.10 a.m., SAF texted simultaneously military and army ground commanders informing them about the operation which is underway, although it started at 2.30 a.m. The text message merely informed army commanders. At 6.30 a.m. SAF Director Getulio Napeñas texted military commanders that his troops were engaged near the middle portion of the encountered area, specifically saying that it was near the river and at army ground commanders alerted troops to prepare if there is a need to reinforce.
At 7.30 a.m., army commanders texted SAF Director Napeñas and asked about the real situation on the ground, however, the army did not get a concrete answer from SAF Director Napeñas. At 8 a.m., army tanks were deployed by the Mechanized Brigade and one section of infantry troops, who saw almost 300 SAF commandos on the streets of Tukanalipao, the army group advanced to join the members of the45th Special Action Company who, by then, were attempting to reinforce the 55th Special Action Company, however, upon the army troops arrival at the position of the SAF commandos, the police forces suddenly retreated back to the streets and left the section of infantry troops alone. The army troops could not move forward because not one SAF commandos was there to guide them.
At 2.30 p.m., a phone call and text message were received by SAF Director Napeñas from84th Special Action Company frantically calling for them to be saved, however, no grid coordinates were given by the 84th Special Action Company. The 61st Division Reconnaissance Company arrived in the area and asked SAF for guides so it can move towards SAF commandos and two sections of SAF commandos joined the operation and after hours of walking were able to link up with members of the 84th Special Action Company, who by that time were very exhausted and traumatized.
It was past 11 p.m. when the group decided to return from Mamasapano town carrying the dead comrades. First 5 cadavers were brought out and SAF commandos carried them to the road. Retrieval operations ended in the afternoon of January 26 and SAF commandos left the area January 27. (Mindanao Examiner)
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