Malaysian terrorist likely killed in Marawi

MANILA, Philippines — A top Malaysian militant is believed to be among the 20 Islamic State-linked Maute extremists killed in the fighting overnight in Marawi City.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Eduardo Año said the bodies of the dead militants, including that of Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, are yet to be retrieved from the battle site for confirmation.

Government troops killed 13 militants in the fierce firefight late Wednesday and seven more were killed early yesterday.

“The process to confirm this with finality, however, is still ongoing. Earlier information regarding this were received from the rescued hostages. We are now working on getting full confirmation,” he said. 

The troops in Marawi led by Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Joint Task Force Ranao, said the ground forces are having difficulty retrieving the bodies of the killed militants for confirmation.

He said the troops are meeting stiff resistance from the remaining Maute terrorists.

“We cannot give as of now a categorical answer if indeed it was Ahmad as we have not retrieved the cadavers on the ground,” Brawner said.

Año however said the military “is increasingly becoming confident” that Mahmud was among those killed in the firefight.

Mahmud, who uses the nom de guerre Abu Handzalah, is a close associate of Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon who was killed Monday along with Omarkhayam Maute, key leaders of the Maute group.

The military said Mahmud had brought together Hapilon and the Maute group and bankrolled the siege of Marawi.

Navy commandos aboard a gunboat patrol Lake Lanao yesterday as smoke rises from the area where Maute terrorists are making a final stand in Marawi City. Inset shows a teddy bear, dressed to look like a rebel fighter, hanging outside a house that had been ransacked by Maute terrorists. AP, KRIZJOHN ROSALES

AFP spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said initial reports indicated Mahmud was among the killed militants. Six soldiers were slightly injured in the fighting.

Two civilian hostages – a mother and her teen-age daughter – were also rescued, Padilla said.

He said the information about Mahmud was based on what the rescued mother and daughter told the military.

Año said the mother and her daughter were rescued in the continuing efforts to clear the main battle area and get the hostages out of harm’s way.

“Our operations to flush out and deal with terrorist stragglers have been continuing relentlessly since yesterday,” he said. 

Año said around 20 hostages remain in the main battle area with soldiers doing their best to rescue them with motivation to finish the battle for Marawi.

Padilla added troops discovered that there may be more militant fighters remaining in a small battle area than earlier estimated.

More of them

A security analyst said two more Malaysian extremists in Marawi should be accounted for by the military.

Rommel Banlaoi, chairman of the Philippine Institute for Peace Violence Terrorism Research, said Malaysians Amin Bacud and Amah Durayne should be located by the troops since they also played vital roles in the siege of Marawi.

“The military should determine if the two Malaysians are still in the main battle area or had escaped to organize another attack,” Banlaoi said. – With Roel Pareño, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jose Rodel Clapano, AP