(Eagle News) – Two Maute rebels, including the suspected right-hand man of slain Islamist State leader in Southeast Asia, Isnilon Hapilon, had been killed by the military.
The Philippine military confirmed this on Thursday, as a military official identified the alleged right-hand man of Hapilon as Abu Talja.
Colonel Romeo Brawner Jr., said Philippine soldiers recovered the bodies of the two slain Maute fighters, one of whom was Talja.
The bodies of the dead Maute fighters are now being processed by the Philippine National Police – Scene of the Crime Operatives (PNP-SOCO), he said.
He, however, did not identify the other slain Maute fighter who was killed during the military’s clearing operations in Marawi’s main battleground.
Earlier, the military had arrested an Indonesian IS-inspired fighter in Marawi City who was part of the Maute group fighting government.
He was identified as Muhammad Ilham Syahputra, and was charged Thursday with rebellion, and violations of the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulatory Act (Republic Act 10591), Law on Explosives (Republic Act 9516) and International Humanitarian Law (Republic Act 9581).
(Eagle News Service)