Basit Usman killed while preparing to follow Pacquiao-Mayweather fight – source

A military intelligence asset shot and killed hunted bombmaker Abdul Basit Usman on Sunday just as the wanted terrorist was getting ready to follow the Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather bout via radio broadcast, a source in the Armed Forces of the Philippines revealed to GMA News on Monday.

 

The source, a military official, also told GMA News on condition of anonymity, that an AFP asset took Usman's fingerprints and DNA sample.

 

According to the source, the military asset saw Usman come out into the open so he could listen to last Sunday's boxing bout and seized that opportunity to make his move against the bombmaker.

 

The military asset then fomented an argument about the bounty on Usman, and in the heated exchange among Usman's security detail, shots were fired and the bombmaker lay dead when the skirmish was over.

 

It was at that point, according to AFP Chief of Staff General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., when Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters made an appearance as they had rushed to where they heard the shooting.

MILF captive

 

However, the MILF has a very different version of Usman's last moments.

 

MILF vice chairman Gazhali Jaafar said Usman was a captive of the MILF's 118th Base Command and that the bombmaker tried to resist his captors, but was shot dead in the attempt. 

 

Usman's remains were then buried within 24 hours of his death in accordance with Islamic tradition.

 

General Catapang said the AFP had tasked the 6th Infantry Division to determine where Usman was buried.

 

Meantime, Police Director Benjamin Magalong of the Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said in a text message to GMA News that they are gathering forensic evidence and testimony about Usman's death. — ELR/DVM/JST, GMA News