Abdullah Maute, one of the two militant Maute brothers heading the siege in Marawi City, Philippines is believed to have died in fighting in the southern city, the country’s military said.
A Rappler report quoted Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) who cited information from the social media application Telegram where the local terrorist group is reportedly communicating with the Islamic State (ISIS), as the basis of Maute’s death.
“Abdullah Maute is already killed. Chatter over Telegram indicates he is killed,” Galvez told reporters in Marawi City on Monday.
The military is still trying to obtain DNA evidence to confirm if Maute had actually been killed. It was reported last July that his brother Omar had been killed but he turned out to be alive and badly injured.
According to latest figures released by the military, over 769 people have been killed since the fighting began in May.
