ISIS-Southeast Asia leader killed in Marawi encounter

The leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Southeast Asia was killed after fighting off troops who attempted to arrest him in Marawi City on Wednesday, the military said.

Policemen and soldiers were supposed to serve an arrest warrant against ISIS-Southeast Asia leader Abu Zacharia in Barangay Bangon, when he threw a mortar and 2 hand grenades towards the troops, the military’s Mindanao Command (Wesmincom).

A 10-minute firefight ensued, killing Zacharia and wounding one soldier, the Wesmincom said in a statement.

Zacharia was a leader of the terrorist Maute Group that laid siege on Marawi City in May 2017, leading to a 5-month gun battle that left the city in ruins and killed some 168 soldiers and policemen, 47 civilians and 1,000 terrorists.

Zacariah, whose real name is Faharudin Hadji Satar, took over the helm of ISIS Southeast Asia in late 2021, the military said.

He was the target of previous military operations in Lanao del Sur.

Hours after the encounter that killed Zacariah, government forces also “neutralized” another key leader of the Daulah Islamiyah — Joharie Sandab alias Morsid, DI-Philippines Sub-Leader and Amir for Finance and Logistics — when he resisted arrest in Bangon, Marawi City, the military said.

“The subject also threw a hand grenade toward the operating troops. Fortunately, the hand grenade did not explode,” the AFP Wesmincom said.

“The government forces were left with no choice but to return fire. The exchange of fires resulted in the death of Morsid,” it added.

Source » abs-cbn