AFP: Omar Maute shot in the head, Hapilon in the chest

A sniper's shot to the head finished off Maute group leader Omar Maute while Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon was killed by gunshots to the chest, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Eduardo Año said Monday.

“Si Isnilon dito sa breast, si Omar head shot. Sniper ang nakabira sa kanya,” he said in a press conference in Marawi.

Año declined to provide other details of the operation that ended the life of the two terrorist leaders.

“They were killed during an encounter from the building going out of the street,” he said.

He added that Maute and Hapilon's remains were positively identified by the hostages and by the Maute group members who had surrendered.

Hapilon and Maute were killed in a "final assault" late Sunday by select members of the Army's Scout Ranger Regiment and other special forces.

Sunday had been the military's latest self-imposed deadline to rid the besieged city of terrorists, though they later said that it was not an official deadline.

Government troops also recovered other cadavers aside from Hapilon and Maute.

“Seven cadavers pa ang nakuha natin and, as of this time, nine enemies were killed as of our encounter this morning,” Año said.

He added that the fatalities will be given a decent Muslim burial, but did not disclose where they will be interred.

Escape attempt

Año said that even after Hapilon and Maute were killed, the firefight continued as the other terrorists attempted to escape by transferring to another building together with 22 hostages.

Hapilon and Maute tried to escape Marawi through Lanao Lake, he added.

“Millions ang offer nila kung sino ang makapag-lead at makapag-provide ng bangka, makapag-lead palabas ng main battle area,” Año said.

He said all their attempts to escape were neutralized by the troops.

“Na-seal off yung lake. Lahat ng nag attempt na lumabas na-neutralize natin,” he said.

Among the terrorists the military is still hunting down are eight foreigners, including Malaysian financier Dr Mahmoud Ahmad.

Fighting in the Lanao del Sur capital broke out on May 23 after the Maute group fired on government troops with an arrest warrant for Hapilon. President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law on the whole of Mindanao on the same day. — BM/JST, GMA News