Comanndos crawled to terror leaders'hideout Sunday night

MANILA -- US-trained army and police commandos crawled toward the terrorists’ positions overnight Sunday and launched an assault in the early hours Monday that led to the deaths of the last two leaders of the deadly siege in Marawi City.

Isnilon Hapilon and Omarkhayam Maute, the last two leaders of the Marawi siege, were killed in one of the final battles by thousands of troops to retake the last area in Marawi City, security officials said.

Their bodies were recovered by the troops Monday, October 16, said Presidential SpokesLOCAL person Ernesto Abella.

“We confirm that government forces killed Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon early morning today, Monday, the 16th of October, in Marawi City. Our operating units have already recovered their bodies,” he said.

Official sources did

not give any other details of the final assault, but a post in the Facebook page of Inside Military Forum read: “Clean kills from 4th Light Reaction Company sniper team and rangers from the 3rd Scout Ranger ‘Excelior’ Battalion got the privilege of delivering the final blow to Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute.”

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said President Rodrigo Duterte and other officials were supposed to go to Marawi Monday, but their trip were postponed after the military said it will conduct an assault Monday.

“So following their operational plan, they were able to do it this morning,” he said in a press conference Monday.

He said that based on initial information, Hapilon and Maute were killed in a ground operation after the military got information about their exact location from a hostage who was able to escape.

Lorenzana said the killing of the two leaders indicates that the Marawi siege is about to end and it will help eradicate the Islamic State (IS) particularly in the country.

Maute brothers Omar and Abdullah were reportedly the frontrunners of the extremist group that laid siege to Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, on May 23 while the military was conducting a manhunt operation against Hapilon, leader of Abu Sayyaf bandit group who was purportedly delegated as IS honcho in Southeast Asia. AP/SunStar Philippines