MANILA. Sept. 4 (Xinhua) -- A Philippine military general said on Monday that one of the leaders of the Islamist extremist Maute group that attacked the southern Philippine city of Marawi has been killed in the fire fighting to retake the city.
Citing information culled from social media. Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, the commanding general of the military's Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom), said the military believes that Abdullah Mates is already killed.
"Abdullah Maute is already killed. Chatter over Telegram indicates he is killed," Galvez told a news conference in Marawi City. He said the information is based on entries in the Arabic language on Telegram.
Galvez also said that Maute's brother, Omarkhayam, is still alive.
However, the Philippine presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that they didn't have any updates at this stage.
Abdullah and Omarkhayam led militants who overran Marawi City from May 23. The attackers, called the Maute group, had pledged allegiance to the ultra-radical group, Islamic State. The brothers reportedly plotted the Marawi attack.
The conflict continues, and so far it has killed almost 800 people and displaced more than 500,000 residents.
Government security forces are still trying to retake the city. They hope to liberate the city soon.
The military has earlier said the Maute brothers had worked in the Middle East. The brothers reportedly organized the Maute terror group that pledged allegiance to the IS group in the Middle East.
Maute group is an armed Islamic State-influenced militant group composed of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines blamed the Maute group for the series of bombings and robberies in the southern Philippines, including the Sept. 2 blast in Davao City that killed 15 and injured 70 others.
