(Eagle News) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines said on Thursday that one of the leaders of the terrorist group Maute was likely dead.
“Omar(khayam) Maute, more or less, mukhang patay na ito,” General Eduardo Año said in an ambush interview on the sidelines of a security meeting in Pasay.
According to Año, his brother Abdullah was, however, still alive, and was still inside Marawi.
The “death” of Omarkhayam comes weeks after the arrest of Cayamora and Farhana Maute, the patriarch and matriarch of the local terrorist group that has pledged allegiance to the international terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Cayamora and Farhana are detained in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig.
According to Año, Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, was also still alive, a fact that explains why the remaining Maute members in Marawi were still “defiant.”
The military has already said, however, that they were closing in on the Maute members, whom Año said are being aided by around 40 foreign terrorists.
He noted that the Philippines was a “magnet” for ISIS because of the “Marawi crisis.”
“(The Allied forces) are forecasting that in six months, matatalo nila ang ISIS (sa Mosul, Iraq). We expect na yung mga madidisplace doon, pupunta ng Asia…Iyan babantayan natin,” he said.
