ZAMBOANGA CITY — Nine more stragglers, including the cousin of the Maute group leaders, were killed in a firefight as troops are conducting relentless clearing operation in Marawi City, a military official said Monday.
Col. Romeo Brawner, Joint Task Force Ranao deputy commander, said the nine were killed in fierce firefight that erupted Sunday dawn and lasted until the afternoon in the main battle area of Marawi.
Brawner said that one of the nine slain stragglers was identified as Ibrahim Maute alias Abu Jamil, the cousin of the Islamic State for Iraq and Syria (ISIS)-inspired Maute group leaders Omar and Abdulah.
“These nine stragglers are believed to be part of the remaining Maute-ISIS terrorists who attacked Marawi City on May 23, 2017,” he said.
He said the troops are still on the lookout for more possible Maute group stragglers in the main battle area of Marawi City.
“Thus, the military is warning the public that the main battle area is still off limits because of the danger posed by terrorist-stragglers,” Brawner said.
The death of the nine stragglers on Sunday came four days after the troops captured Indonesian extremist Muhammad Ilham Syahputra and killed two Maute stragglers in a firefight.
The troops captured Syahputra, 22, in the morning of November 1 in Barangay Loksadatu, Marawi City.
The two Maute stragglers, including Abu Talja the closed aide of slain Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, were killed in the afternoon of November 1. (PNA)
