(UPDATED) - Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon, top leaders of Islamic State-inspired extremists Maute group, were killed in a military assault early Monday, an official said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the whereabouts of Hapilon and Maute, who were holed up in a building in Marawi City, were divulged by a female hostage who managed to escape.
"They were able to get a testimony from a hostage who was able to escape. She was able to confirm the presence of Isnilon and Maute in that particular building. That's the building that we assaulted this morning. They are confirmed dead," Lorenzana said in a press conference.
Photos from ABS-CBN sources earlier showed the cadavers of Hapilon and Maute.
Malacañang had announced a P5 million bounty for the "neutralization" of each of the Maute brothers, and P10 million for Hapilon.
A separate $5 million bounty was also offered for the arrest of Hapilon, an Abu Sayyaf leader who was said to be the anointed ISIS leader in Southeast Asia. The Marawi clashes supposedly started when troops tried to serve an arrest warrant on Hapilon.
Since clashes between state forces and the Maute group erupted about 5 months ago, about 753 terrorists have been killed. At least 47 civilians and 155 soldiers also died in the conflict. Thousands were forced to evacuate.
Lorenzana said the death of the two terrorists signals the end of Marawi conflict but operations may continue to arrest other Maute members.
The siege of the Islamic City began May this year when Maute, with brother Abdullah, hoisted black flags of the Islamic State group and set Dansalan College on fire.
In June, the brothers' parents- father Cayamora and mother Farhana- were arrested in separate police operations. Cayamora died in August.
The siege has reduced the once-bustling city of Marawi into ruins, with many buildings and even mosques completely destroyed and riddled with bullets and shrapnel.
http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/16/17/terrorists-isnilon-hapilon-omar-maute-killed-in-marawi-battle
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