13 of remaining Maute members killed in fresh Marawi clashes

Thirteen of the remaining pro-ISIS Maute terrorists in Marawi City have been killed, and Malaysian high-profile terrorist is believed among the fatalities.

DzBB's Benjie Liwanag reporting from Marawi said that ground troops announced early Thursday morning the deaths of the 13 terrorists in clashes that happened three days after ISIS-anointed emir Isnilon Hapilon and leader Omar Maute were killed in a predawn assault.

FLASH: 13 miyembro ng Maute group, nasawi sa operasyon ng tropa ng pamahalaan sa Marawi City. | via @Benjielite pic.twitter.com/a23as662xs

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) October 18, 2017

UPDATE: Malaysian terrorist na si Mahmud Ahmad, pinaniniwalaang kabilang sa mga nasawi sa operasyon ng tropa ng pamahalaan | via @Benjielite

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) October 18, 2017

Earlier, the military said that the number of holdover terrorist forces was between 20 to 30 as of Tuesday. 

Intelligence officials had described Ahmad as a financier and recruiter, who helped put together the coalition of pro-Islamic State fighters that stormed Marawi on May 23.

Ground troops believed that Ahmad was still with some 30 remaining Maute terrorists after the deaths of Isnilon and Omar.

“Based on our information, there is still one personality, Dr. Mahmud of Malaysia, and he is still in the main battle area with some Indonesians and Malaysians,” Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año said last Monday.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday afternoon declared that Marawi City has been freed from the Maute group.

This came a day after government killed Isnilon and Omar, and rescued 17 civilian hostages.

Meanwhile, dzBB reported that Isnilon and Omar have already been buried in accordance with the Islam rites.  —LBG, GMA News