Terror leader Hapilon may have fled Marawi

MANILA, Philippines - One of the world’s most wanted terrorists may have escaped a five-week battle with the Islamist Maute group militants in Marawi City, which began with a raid to capture him, the military said yesterday.

Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant said to be the leader of the Islamic State (IS) group in Southeast Asia, has not been seen in the battle zone in Marawi City, according to Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, head of the military’s Western Mindanao Command.

An attempt by government troops to arrest Hapilon in Marawi on May 23 triggered a rampage by Islamist militants flying black IS flags and backed by some foreign fighters who seized parts of the mainly Muslim city.

President Duterte declared martial law in Marawi and the entire southern region of Mindanao, unleashing an offensive to crush what he said was an attempt by the jihadist group to establish a caliphate in the region.

“He (Hapilon) has not been seen in the area. We have some reports that he was already able to slip somewhere but as of now we are still confirming the reports,” Galvez said in an interview with dzBB radio.

Asked if Hapilon was on the run, Galvez said: “Yes, yes, because reportedly he suffered a lot of casualties. Majority of his group, more than half, were casualties.”

Hapilon is wanted for the 2001 kidnapping of three Americans, among other foreigners, in the Philippines. The US government has put up a $5-million bounty for his capture with his name on its “most wanted” terror list.

Hapilon leads a faction of the Abu Sayyaf that has pledged allegiance to IS.

Security analysts say he has been recognized by IS as its “amir,” or leader, in Southeast Asia, a region where the group wants to establish a caliphate.

The military said Hapilon’s group joined forces with the Maute group to launch the Marawi siege, now on its second month.

Yesterday, security forces continued intense air raids and artillery fire on pockets of Marawi still occupied by the militants, while troops fought house-to-house gunbattles on the ground.

“The operation is going on, the firefights are intense. We have gained substantial ground,” Galvez said.

Nearly 300 militants and 67 government troops have been killed in the fighting, according to official figures.

Galvez said there are “strong indications” that two or three of the Maute brothers – among the key players in the siege – had been killed, including Omarkhayam Maute, believed to be the group’s top leader.

Only one brother, Abdullah, has been visible in the fighting, Galvez added.