Duterte says Malaysia’s most wanted terrorist killed

MARAWI: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said yesterday that a Malaysian militant tipped to become the new leader of the Islamic State (IS) in Southeast Asia had been killed.

Dr Mahmud Ahmad was described by the Philippine military as a “high-value target”, who had funded an attack by pro-IS militants here in May and connected local insurgents with jihadists in the Middle East.

Duterte said Mahmud was the latest militant leader to be killed in the nearly five-month battle here following the deaths of Isnilon Hapilon, the head of IS in Southeast Asia, and his ally, Omarkhayam Maute, on Monday.

“Now the other (one), the one they called ‘Doc’ — there are three: Hapilon, Omar and the Doc — he was taken this afternoon, and that completes the story,” Duterte said at a business conference in Manila, to applause from the crowd.

Hours before Duterte spoke, military chief of staff General Eduardo Ano said the armed forces were “increasingly becoming confident” that Mahmud was among 13 militants killed on Wednesday, citing the accounts of freed hostages.

A DNA test would be conducted on the body, military spokesman Major-General Restituto Padilla said.

On Tuesday, Duterte declared Marawi “liberated from terrorists’ influence”, but the military said fighting was continuing against at least 20 remaining militants. AFP