The FBI believes it has identified body matter collected at the scene of a deadly raid in the Philippines last week as belonging to one of its “most wanted terrorists”, Zulkifli bin Hir, also known as Marwan.

The DNA sample showed a link with a known relative of Zulkifli’s, said David Bowdich, assistant director in charge of the Los Angeles field office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Although analysts cannot prove with certainty the sample provided by the Philippines belonged to bin Hir or that it came from a deceased person, Bowdich said results “do support” it came from Zulkifli.

A source familiar with the testing process said there is believed to be a sibling connection between the sample and DNA from Zulkifli’s brother.

The brother, Rahmat bin Hir, is in US custody in a California prison after his arrest in 2007 for conspiracy to provide “material support to terrorists”.

The link between siblings, which match in 50 percent of their DNA, comes close to confirming the sample belonged to the wanted Islamic militant, but does not provide “absolute identification”, said Bowdich.

The FBI had offered US$5 million for the arrest of Zulkifli, a Malaysian member of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah militant group behind numerous bombing attacks in the Philippines.

The raid to arrest Zulkifli and another militant went awry and 44 police commandos were killed in the clash that shattered a three-year ceasefire with Muslim rebels in the south of the country.

Philippine counter-terrorism officials say Zulkifli fled to the island of Mindanao in 2000, when the Malaysian government cracked down on Islamist militants after uncovering an al-Qaeda-linked organisation in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Three years ago, the military reported Zulkifli died in an air strike, but he surfaced again last year in Mindanao under protection of a Moro Islamic Liberation Front splinter group.

Last month, police confirmed Zulkifli’s presence at Pedsandawan village and a plan, code-named Exodus, was launched involving hundred of police commandos.

Noli Talino, acting Special Action Force commander, said the commandos sneaked into Pedsandawan at night and killed Zulkifli.

In a eulogy on Jan. 30 for the commandos, Talino said their leader, Getulio Napenas, was at his tactical command post 3km away when he got a text message: “Mike one, Bingo,” meaning that Zulkifli had been killed.

- Reuters