DNA samples from the alleged body of Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan have been sent to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation for analysis and verification, various sources said.

According to reports, hair and human tissue samples were sent to the FBI for confirmation. If the body is proven to be Marwan’s, the $5-million bounty would be released to the PNP informant who provided information on the exact location of the terrorist.

PNP-SAF troops were sent on a covert operation to Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on Sunday to serve warrants of arrest to Marwan and Jemaah Islamiyah-trained Abdul Basit Usman. The botched operation yielded 44 casualties from the elite police force.

Former PNP-SAF chief P/Dir. Getulio Napenas said in an earlier interview with GMA News that Usman managed to escape while Marwan’s body was not retrieved due to intense crossfire during the clash. However, Napenas said that they were able to take photos of his remains as well as DNA samples.

In 2012, the Philippine military announced that Marwan died in a US-led airstrike in Jolo. But in August 2014, they retracted the statement and confirmed that the terrorist was still alive.