Isil emir Hapilon dead, says Philippines minister

Isnilon Hapilon, the emir of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) group in south-east Asia, has been killed in an offensive by troops in the Philippines, the country’s defence secretary claimed yesterday.

His death deals a blow to Isil’s reported ambition to create a base for terrorist activities across Asia. Delfin Lorenza said Hapilon had been killed alongside Omar Maute, leader of the Isil-linked Maute group, during a push to retake the southern Muslim city of Marawi, which has been besieged by Islamist militants since May.