Government forces were “increasingly becoming confident” that Malaysian radical leader Dr. Mahmud Ahmad is now dead, believing that he was among the 20 remaining terrorists holed up in Marawi City that were killed by soldiers since Wednesday.
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Eduardo Año said they are currently thoroughly verifying if one of the slain armed men include Ahmad, a Malaysian believed to replace Isnilon Hapilon as emir of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia.
“The AFP is increasingly becoming confident that he was among those who have been killed during (Wednesday’s) operations. The process to confirm this with finality, however, is still ongoing,” he said.
The government earlier estimated that there are about 30 terrorists left in Marawi City after their leaders Hapilon and Omar Maute were killed during intensive military operations early this week.
Soldiers killed 13 terrorists on Wednesday, and seven terrorists on Thursday.
The AFP likewise confirmed on Thursday the rescue of two hostages from their terrorist captors.
“We were able to get seven more, and rescued a mother and her daughter. She is about 15 or 16 years old. She has a splinter wound but out of danger,” Año said.
He said six soldiers were wounded from their latest operations, but said they only sustained “superficial wounds.” /kga