Philippines Says It Killed ISIS-Linked Leader in Push to Reclaim City
Rommel Banlaoi said that This is a setback,
16, 2017
MANILA — One of Asia’s most-wanted terrorists was killed Monday in the southern city of Marawi, the Philippine authorities
said, after thousands of government troops pushed over the weekend to reclaim the town from Islamist militants.
Mr. Hapilon became the leader of Abu Sayyaf in the 1990s after disavowing the Moro National Liberation Front, a Muslim separatist group
that had signed a peace pact with the Philippine government.
The terrorist who died, Isnilon Hapilon, was the leader of Abu Sayyaf, a militant
group affiliated with the Islamic State that has held parts of Marawi since May.
Mr. Hapilon’s group, Abu Sayyaf, earned a reputation for brutality, including kidnappings and beheadings.
Security analysts were cautiously optimistic that fighting could end this week, but they warned
that other militant leaders could fill the void left by Mr. Hapilon’s death.