Nine more Maute members killed in Marawi ops — military

Nine more stragglers, including the cousin of the Maute brothers, were killed in an operation by government troops in Marawi City over the weekend, a military official said Monday.

Colonel Romeo Brawner, Joint Task Force Ranao deputy commander, identified one of the killed suspects as Ibrahim Maute alias Abu Jamil, a cousin of Maute brothers Omar and Abdulah.

Ibrahim Maute is said to be the finance and logistical officer of the Maute group, according to a report by Chino Gaston on Unang Balita on Tuesday.

The stragglers died near the building where Omar Maute and Abu Sayyaf commander Isnilon Hapilon were killed.

The military is still checking if Malaysian national Amin Baco, the new emir of ISIS in Southeast Asia, is among those killed.

Brawner said clearing operations by government troops led to fierce fighting with the stragglers from early dawn of November 5 (Sunday) until late afternoon which resulted to the deaths of nine Maute fighters.

Brawner said government troops are still on the lookout for more possible stragglers in the main battle area.

“Thus, the military is warning the public that the main battle area is still off limits because of the danger posed by terrorist-stragglers,” he said.

Authorities earlier arrested Indonesian terrorist Mohammad Ilham Syahputra and killed a couple of stragglers following the liberation of Marawi late last month. — RSJ/KG, GMA News