Filipino bomber maker Abdul Basit Usman killed in firefight

MANILA, May 4 (UPI) -- Philippines-born bomb maker Abdul Basit Usman, who the United States had a $1 million bounty on, was killed by the Armed Forces of the Philippines on Sunday.

The Office of the President of the Philippines made the announcement, citing information from military field operatives.

"Terror suspect Basit Usman was killed in a firefight in Guindulungan, Maguindanao, at around noon today," Malacañang Palace spokesman Herminio Coloma Jr. said.

Usman was able to escape death or capture in multiple operations by the military for years.

An operation in January led by the Special Action Force against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other rebel groups resulted in the deaths of 44 elite police commandos, 17 Islamist rebels and three civilians. Usman was the secondary target of the operation.

The primary target was Zulkifli Abdhir, a Malaysian bomb maker for several groups who had a $5 million bounty for his capture by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was killed in the operation.

Usman has been involved in bombings since at least 2002, including one at a mall where 15 people were killed and 44 were wounded.

The U.S. Rewards for Justice program offered a reward of up to $1 million.

"Abdul Basit Usman, a Filipino citizen, is a bomb-making expert with links to the Philippines-based Abu Sayyaf Group and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist organizations operating in the southern Philippines", a statement by the Rewards for Justice program reads. "Due to these associations, U.S. authorities consider Basit to be a threat to U.S. and Filipino citizens and interests. Basit is believed to have orchestrated several bombings that have killed, injured, and maimed many innocent civilians."

There were reports that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front killed Usman to collect the reward money.