Abu Dar, also known by the aliases Oda Benito Marhomsar or Humam Abdul Najid, is a name that became a symbol of ferocity and peril within the volatile security context following the 2017 Marawi Incident. After notorious leaders like Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon were eliminated, Abu Dar reportedly rose quickly, replacing Isnilon Hapilon as the supreme leader of the remaining extremist elements. Notably, unlike the typical demeanor of his predecessors, Abu Dar had a quiet, even gentle appearance—a bald man who often smiled—yet he was described as an extremely brutal individual with enormous influence, specializing in violent extremism and combat techniques.

To the military, he was the most critical target in Lanao, the one remaining leader with the capability to recreate the Marawi nightmare in other areas. More alarming were speculations that the group’s next targets could be major commercial and political centers, including the National Capital Region. Abu Dar’s influence was built on extensive knowledge of religious texts and practical experience in fabricating explosive devices. He was the founder of the Kilafa Islamia Movement (KIM), an armed group formed around 2012, responsible for a series of explosive incidents across Mindanao. His initial association with Al-Qaeda in Iraq, earning him the nickname “Zarqawi of the Philippines,” further cemented his position within extremist ideology, before he formally pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) in 2014.

Abu Dar’s evolution into a violent extremist was a lengthy process. Born in Pagayawan, Lanao del Sur, he was reportedly related to the Maute brothers. From a young age, Abu Dar showed a deep devotion to religious study and attended an Islamic school in Baguio City. However, it was there that intelligence reports suggest his shift toward extremist ideology began. The peak came in 2005 when he traveled to Afghanistan for armed training. It was in Afghanistan that he became an expert in fabricating explosive devices. Bringing these skills back, Abu Dar even became a weapons instructor for the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the armed wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), during his time as a member of the Moro movement.

However, when the peace process between the MILF and the government was signed in 2014, Abu Dar abandoned the ranks, disagreeing with the surrender of the armed struggle for peace. Like the Maute brothers, he split off to pursue his goals in a different direction, gradually connecting with emerging extremist groups in Mindanao that rejected the peace agreement. He was even reportedly Isnilon Hapilon’s former deputy before the Marawi Incident. Abu Dar’s footprints are linked to serious incidents, including the sabotage of the Limket Kai commercial area in Cagayan de Oro City in July 2013, an event that resulted in the loss of life and injuries to dozens of civilians. He was also allegedly involved in operations targeting civilians, security forces, and those who did not share their ideology in Marawi and the surrounding areas of Lanao del Sur.

On May 23, 2017, when the Maute Group and Isnilon Hapilon’s forces launched the attack and seized Marawi, Abu Dar was one of the strategic minds behind the plan. This event led to five months of conflict, resulting in over 1,000 casualties and the destruction of central Marawi. Throughout the conflict, the brutality of Abu Dar and his group was well-known. The military reported him as extremely violent, propagating the extremist ideology that anyone who did not follow them must be eliminated. This view led to numerous violent acts, from taking hostages, targeting civilians, to destroying places of worship and infrastructure within the city. There were reports that Abu Dar personally ordered the elimination of several civilians and security personnel to instill fear and consolidate the group’s control.

Notably, in the early days of the Marawi Incident, while some extremists focused on creating chaos, Abu Dar’s forces concentrated on looting abandoned banks and the homes of wealthy residents. They took civilians hostage and forced them to aid in the plunder. Using explosive devices, these elements breached the vaults of three major banks—Land Bank, Philippine National Bank, and Al-Amana Islamic Bank. The assets recovered—including cash, gold, and valuables—were loaded onto trucks and transported out of Marawi before the security cordon was fully established. With the incident occurring just before Ramadan, when many Maranao individuals kept millions of pesos and gold in family vaults, the total value of stolen assets was estimated to be around 2 billion pesos.

Unlike the other leaders, Abu Dar escaped the Marawi siege. He reportedly fled early in the fighting, carrying the stolen assets along with dozens of remaining Maute Group fighters. His withdrawal was believed to be part of a long-term plan, with the acquired assets becoming a crucial source of financing to rebuild his forces. After the elimination of Isnilon Hapilon and the Maute brothers, Abu Dar became the highest-ranking surviving leader and the nexus for the remaining elements who wished to continue the armed struggle.

Abu Dar moved swiftly to reconstruct his forces. He and the remaining fighters went into hiding and began recruiting in the remote areas of Lanao del Sur. The assets stolen from Marawi City were used to rearm and finance a new destabilization campaign. They established new training camps, built bunkers and trenches, preparing for a renewed conflict with the government. Abu Dar spent the subsequent months recruiting and training new fighters, specifically targeting Muslim youth and young individuals, along with the children or relatives of those who had suffered loss of life in the Marawi Incident, exploiting their resentment and desire for revenge.

He used money effectively to lure recruits, combining it with charismatic rhetoric and knowledge of religious texts to draw them into extremist ideology. Reports indicated that families were offered a sum of up to 70,000 pesos, plus a monthly salary of 30,000 pesos, for their sons to join the group. The group was even reportedly offering an additional 10,000 pesos bounty for the elimination of each soldier. With the recruitment of both hardened veterans and new combatants attracted by the lucrative compensation, the Daulah Islamia (DI Lanao) group under Abu Dar’s leadership swelled to around 250 fighters. Alarming rumors suggested that the group’s next target could be the National Capital Region, due to the wealth of commercial centers and the location of the National Government Headquarters.

The government was relentless in its pursuit of Abu Dar. Continuous military operations were launched to track and eliminate his group. Although Abu Dar escaped multiple encounters, including a major military operation in June 2018 and a 10-hour firefight in January 2019, he was wounded. On March 14, 2019, a fierce clash erupted in Tubaran, Lanao del Sur, where the 49th Infantry Battalion attacked Abu Dar’s base. After hours of fighting, four extremist elements were eliminated, and the military initially suspected one of them was Abu Dar himself.

Intelligence from defectors and former combatants pointed to distinct identifying marks on the body, including a scar on the cheek and old wounds on the back from a previous encounter, matching the description of Abu Dar. The remaining fighters attempted to carry the critically wounded body with them during their retreat but eventually had to abandon it. Shockingly, they reportedly burned part of the body’s face to conceal the identity, an attempt to mislead security forces. Four soldiers lost their lives in this fierce engagement. To confirm the identity, a DNA sample from the body was sent to the United States for analysis. Weeks later, the results confirmed: Abu Dar was eliminated in that operation.

Abu Dar’s elimination was considered a major victory by the government in the fight against extremism. Experts noted that the end of this leader was a massive blow to the IS movement in the region, as he was one of the four key leaders and the recognized successor to Isnilon Hapilon. His loss severely degraded the capability of the Daulah Islamia group in Lanao del Sur. The remaining forces rapidly fragmented, with many fighters and supporters voluntarily surrendering to the government between 2019 and 2023. Although another successor, Abu Zakaraya, emerged, he was eventually eliminated in an operation in Marawi City in June 2023. This event is a testament to the determination of the government and security forces to eliminate persistent threats to national security, bringing hope for lasting peace to the people of Lanao del Sur. Abu Dar’s story serves as a stark warning about how violent extremism can exploit grievances and funding to prolong its operations, and the critical importance of maintaining continuous vigilance to safeguard national security.