Singapore's Straits Times (ST) quoted General Eduardo Ano of the Philippine military as saying that Mahmud had died on June 7 after being wounded last month. A local militant leader, Omarkhayam Maute, also is believed to have been killed in the early days of intense fighting and troops were looking for their remains to validate the intelligence the military had received.
A Philippines army soldier takes a break as government forces continue their assault against insurgents from the Maute group, who have taken over large parts of Marawi City, Philippines June 25, 2017.
Mahmud is said to have channelled more than 30 million pesos from the Islamic State to acquire firearms and other supplies for the attack in Marawi.
Hapilon, who is on the America's most wanted terror list and has a $5m (3.9m) bounty on his head, was indicted in Washington for his involvement in the kidnapping of three Americans in the Philippines in 2001.
"I would not confirm this now but authorities there reported that Isnilon Hapilon managed to escape and we believe Mahmud is with him", said Khalid. The AP obtained a copy of the video, which was seized by Filipino troops in a militant hideout on May 23.
Assistant Secretary for the Peace Process Dickson Hermoso said the rescuers risked their lives to pluck out trapped civilians.
With Mindanao placed under martial law by President Rodrigo Duterte, local officials issued an advisory prohibiting the holding of the Eidl Fitr prayer in public, open spaces-contrary to the usual Muslim practice.
The government claimed those killed included 268 fighters, eight of whom were foreign fighters from Malaysia, Indonesia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Chechnya in Russian Federation.
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A military official said on Saturday more than 100 Christians could be hostages, including a priest, according to information provided by eight residents who escaped their captors during a Friday air strike.
Also, Abella said the Philippine Navy has deployed BRP Davao del Sur in Cotabato to aid military operations in the ongoing offensive in Marawi City.
Australia has sent two high-tech surveillance planes to help Filipino troops in Marawi, joining the United States, which has also provided military assistance.
"His brother [Abdullah] is still alive, still there", Año told reporters on the sidelines of a trilateral meeting Thursday between the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia in Manila.
Still addressing the Maute Group, the Ulama leaders said they are "willing to see you for a dialogue, to solve this problem".
"This is the saddest Eid celebration in recent memory", Zia Alonto Adiong, crisis management committee spokesperson, said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, two suspected Maute sympathizers and members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) last weekend faced state prosecutors for complaint of rebellion. They agreed on a plan of action to combat terrorism and rising extremism and deal with the prospects of Asian fighters returning to their region from Syria and Iraq, where the IS group has been losing territory in a yearslong conflict.
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