MORE MILITANTS KILLED AS FIGHTING CONTINUES

A top Malaysian militant is believed to be among 13 militants killed in fighting overnight in Marawi City, though his body hasn’t been recovered yet.

Military spokesman Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla said two civilian hostages who were rescued - a mother and her teenage daugh- ter - provided the information that Mahmud bin Ahmad was among those killed.

The military “is increasingly becoming confident that he (Mahmud) was among those who have been killed but we are on the process of confirming this since the firefight is still ongo- ing,” Padilla said.

Mahmud, who uses the nom de guerre Abu Handzalah, is a close associate of Isnilon Hapilon, one of the leaders of the terrorists who laid siege to Marawi.

Military officials said Mahmud had linked up Hapilon with the Islamic State group and provided funding to bankroll the siege of Marawi.

Colonel Romeo Brawner, Joint Task Group Ranao deputy commander, said the hostages were rescued by government troops on Wednesday evening.

From Tuesday, October 17 until Wednesday, October 18, the military said a total of 20 Islamist fighters allegedly including Mahmud were killed in military operations against the remnants of the terrorists.

Six soldiers were slightly injured in the fighting.

Brawner said retrieval operations were ongoing. He said the enemies were still in a defensive position and were using their hostages as human shield.

Padilla said troops discovered that there may be more militant fighters remaining in a small battle area than earlier estimated.

Sporadic fighting continued even after President Rodrigo Duterte visited the battle-scarred Islamic city on October 17 and announced its liberation.

A day earlier, defense officials announced that two of the last leaders of the siege — Hapilon, who was one of the FBI’s most-wanted terror suspects, and Omarkhayam Maute, one of the leaders of the Maute group — were killed in a gunbattle.

The militants laid siege to the city on May 23, after a botched government raid failed to capture Hapilon, who has pledged allegiance to IS.

AP FOTO PATROL. Philippine Navy commandos aboard a gunboat patrol the periphery of Lake Lanao as smoke rises from the “Main Battle Area” where pro-Islamic group militants are making a final stand amid a massive military offensive of Marawi City.