Philippines - JI leader Marwan killed in southern Philippines

Jemaah Islamiyah leader Zulkifli Abdul Hir, a Malaysian militant high on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorists list, was killed in an air strike in southern Philippines.

Regional military commander Maj Gen Noel Coballes told news agencies that ground troops had confirmed the death of Zulkifli, famously known as Marwan, after a raid on a military stronghold in Jolo island, in the Mindanao region.

Fifteen militants were killed in the attack at about 3am yesterday, including fellow Jemaah Islamiyah militant Mohammad Ali Muawiyah and Abu Sayyaf leader Abu Pula.

Marwan, an engineer trained in the United States, was born in Muar, Johor, in 1966.

He was believed to be the head of the Kumpulan Mujahidin Malaysia terrorist organisation and one of the leaders of Jemaah Islamiyah, a group blamed for some of Southeast Asia's deadliest terrorist attacks, including the 2002 Bali bombings, where more than 200 people were killed.

Marwan had been in the Philippines since August 2003 where he is believed to have conducted bomb-making training for the Abu Sayyaf Group.

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