The Mamasapano clash was a shootout that took place during a police operation by the Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on January 25, 2015, in Tukanalipao, Mamasapano, then-undivided Maguindanao (which is now Maguindanao del Sur). The operation, codenamed Oplan Exodus, was intended to capture or kill wanted Malaysian terrorist and bomb-maker Zulkifli Abdhir and other Malaysian terrorists or high-ranking members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Originally a mission to serve arrest warrants for high-ranking terrorists, it led to the deaths of 44 members of the SAF, 17 or 18 from the MILF and BIFF, five civilians, and the death of Abdhir confirmed by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the PNP at 6:30 p.m. on February 4, 2015, through a matching DNA result. Abdhir was one of FBI's most wanted terrorists. Getulio Napeñas, the relieved SAF commander, estimated about 250 deaths from his assumption that each SAF sniper may have taken down at least 20 members of the MILF, BIFF and private militias during the encounter although this was not confirmed. Napenas' estimate was also debunked by the MILF and by the local government of Mamasapano.
The mission itself was declared successful once the target was neutralized. The severity of the policemen's situation prompted the government peace panel to intervene and request a ceasefire from the MILF. The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also conducted a rescue operation to save the remaining 29 SAF survivors who were encircled by the enemies.
The mission was called Oplan Exodus, initially misattributed as Oplan Wolverine by the local media. Oplan Wolverine refers to three of the other nine prior operation attempts targeting Marwan; Oplan Wolverine 1, 2, and 3 launched in December 2012, March and May 2014, respectively, by the PNP-SAF. The incident caused the Congress of the Philippines to halt the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, effectively endangering the peace process between the government and the MILF.
On Sunday, January 25, 2015, three platoons of the elite SAF police squad entered the guerrilla enclave of Tukanalipao, Mindanao, Philippines, with the goal of detaining two high-ranking Jemaah Islamiyah-affiliated, improvised-explosive-device experts, Zulkifli Abdhir (also known as Marwan) and Abdul Basit Usman. The SAF troops raided the hut where they believed Marwan was located, and the man they believe to be Marwan engaged them in a firefight and was killed. The SAF initially planned to take his body for identification. However, the shooting alerted the BIFF and MILF 118th Command in the area.
The SAF just cut off a finger, took a photo, and left his body there. By 6:18 AM UTC+8 (PST), an SMS message was sent by the Commander of SAF 61D Battalion to SAF Director Getulio Napeñas that they were pinned down at coordinates 6.92489°N 124.52047°E. What followed was a bloody encounter that left 44 SAF, 18 MILF, and 5 BIFF dead.
On Wednesday, February 4, 2015, the FBI confirmed to the PNP that the DNA sample from the finger matched that of Marwan's brother detained in a U.S. facility. A MILF spokesman accused the SAF squads of initiating the firefight, claiming that the rebels acted in self-defense, and proposed the continuation of the peace process.
Abu Misri Mama, BIFF spokesman, said that his rebel group's relationship with the MILF's 105th Command headed by Ustadz Zacaria Guma is positive. "We're all family," Mama commenting on BIFF's relationship with Guma's unit. Mama said that there is no distinction between BIFF members and members of Guma's unit and claims that all of them are either relatives or friends of each other. It was reported that Guma's unit would engage other MILF units over disputes such as clan feuds. It was also reported that Guma was not on good terms with other MILF units which Guma viewed as "Munafiq", or hypocrites.
A military intelligence officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that BIFF leader Ameril Umbra Kato ordered the killing of the SAF members by his group and members of the MILF involved in the incident. The official also quoted Kato as saying “Leave no one alive and take all their firearms, ammunition, and personal belongings.” Another unnamed colonel from the Philippine Army confirmed the information and said that SAF personnel who were wounded were shot dead by BIFF members.
A private armed group led by Datu Bahnarin Ampatuan was reportedly among those involved in the killings of the SAF members. Bahnarin Ampatuan, who was also implicated in the Maguindanao massacre case, is the brother of Mamasapano mayor Benzar Ampatuan. Bahnarin and Benzar Amputuan were rivals at the 2010 Mayoral elections. Benzar expressed doubt of his brother's participation and believes that Bahnarin would not associate himself with groups like the BIFF or people like Abdul Basit Usman who attempted to kill Benzar's grandfather.
The Philippine National Police planned ten operations, including Oplan Exodus which was implemented on January 25, 2015, targeting bomb expert Zulkifli Abdhir, also known as Marwan. Oplan Exodus, the last of the ten operations planned by the PNP was the only operation successful in neutralizing Marwan.
A total of 44 SAF personnel were killed during the encounter. #Fallen44 became a worldwide trend on Twitter as an effort to honor the 44 slain SAF members. The SAF casualties were later dubbed as the Fallen 44. The incident saw one of the highest fatalities of government forces in a single peace time operation.
Allegations of United States Army casualties
According to a local farmer, a "blue-eyed" American soldier was among the casualties. However, the U.S. embassy later denied any involvement in the clash.
The two agencies that cooperated during the battle, the Philippine National Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, confirmed on Wednesday February 4, 2015, at 6:30 p.m. that Zulkifli Abdhir, also known as Marwan, was killed during the Mamasapano encounter based on a matching DNA test. The MILF later said that, based on an intelligence report that they had received, Marwan (Abdhir) was dead as a result of an encounter. MILF chairman Al-Hajj Murad Ebrahim said that, based on their information, Marwan who was in his nipa hut home was surrounded by SAF troops and was reported to open fire first and that SAF officers were able to shoot Marwan dead. Marwan's body was reportedly left at the hut and was immediately buried. Ebrahim also said that Abdul Basit Usman, who was also pursued by SAF troops, was able to escape.
Mohagher Iqbal said that 18 MILF personnel were killed during combat, while 14 were injured.
On the other hand, according to one MILF official, 17 of their members were killed in the clash. Then PO2 Christopher Lalan, lone survivor of the clash said, "at least 11 members of the combined forces of MILF, BIFF, and private armed groups were taken down by SAF troopers from his Company". Former PNP-SAF head Chief Supt Napenas estimates that each of his SAF snipers may have shot down at least 20 attackers in which the total casualties are 250, but this was met with skepticism since there was no bodycount and there was no acceptable level of evidence to prove his claim and that the claim itself is hard to believe. One MILF official even said that "they may have counted stones instead of bodies".
Moro group, Suara Bangsamoro, claimed in a post-fact-finding mission report that at least 7 civilians were killed and 3 others were injured during the Mamasapano clash. Jerome Succor Aba, national spokesperson of the group, said that residents of Barangay Tukanalipao were preparing for their daily activities when SAF commandos entered the area and opened fire at the residence of the Panangulon family, resulting in the death of five-year-old child Sarah Panangulon and leaving her parents Tots and Samrah wounded. Badrudin Langalan, a farmer, was found dead hogtied at the wooden bridge in the barangay. Aba describes Langalan's body as being riddled with bullets and eyes as gouged out. Aba said that five other people were killed who were heading to the mosque in Sitio Inugog and said that based from stories of residents that the SAF was behind their deaths. "Civilians bore the brunt of the botched operations, they were made to suffer on suspicions that they are harboring terrorists. Suara calls for justice and recognition of the true victims and accountability to the police and Aquino administration," Aba said.