THE US State Department tagged on Wednesday Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan, linked to two suicide bombings in the Philippines, as an international terrorist along with 12 other individuals affiliated with, or leading terrorist groups around the world.
Sawadjaan, who headed a fraction of the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu, is the leader of the Islamic State in the Philippines, and had been tagged in the two suicide bombings in Sulu this year that targeted the Jolo cathedral and the camp of the Army’s 1st Brigade Combat Team.
The Filipino extremist leader was listed as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist [SDGT]” along with 12 other terrorist leaders, whose groups were operating in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and West Africa. The Islamic State-Philippines was earlier put on the same list.
“Today’s actions seek to deny these terrorists the resources to plan and carry out attacks. All of their property and interests in property subject to US jurisdiction are blocked, and US persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them,” the State Department said.
“This Administration will continue to aggressively use all levers of American power, including financial sanctions, to target terrorists who plot murderous operations to indiscriminately kill innocent civilians around the world, and those who enable, facilitate and finance their heinous acts,” it added.
The Operation Pacific Eagle-Philippines through the second quarter report by its “Lead Inspector General,” said that Sawadjaan, while heading the Islamic State in the Philippines, also leads the biggest group that is affiliated with the IS, which included the Maute Group.
The report said that while the IS has not lost or even acquired territory in Mindanao from April to June this year, it has managed to beef up its membership from more than 200 last year to more than 500 during the second quarter.
“In response to a question from the DoD OIG [Department of Defense Office of Inspector General] about the strength of the various Isis-EA [East Asia] factions, Usindopacom [US Indo-Pacific Command] cited figures from an AFP assessment that put the total strength of Isis-EA at 574 fighters, including 424 members of the ASG; 85 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters-Esmael faction; 59 members of the Maute Group; and 6 members of the Ansar Khalifa Philippines faction,” it said.
Image credits: Philippine National Police via AP