Push Admin

Isnilon Hapilon may already be dead, says Army general

Article (news)

Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/01/27/isnilon-hapilon-012717.jpg"/><figcaption><div class="embed-desc">Isnilon Hapilon. <cite>File Photo</cite></div></figcaption></figure></div>MANILA - Isnilon Hapilon, believed to be the head of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia, may already be dead, an Army official said Thursday. Speaking to ABS-CBN News, Army 103rd Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Nixon Fortes said the terror leader may have already been dead based on the movement of his group in the past weeks. &quot;Isnilon Hapilon, since our first bombardment sa Butig, he is severely wounded. Since then, hindi sya namo-monitor (We have not monitored him since),&quot; Fortes said. &quot;To compare his life before natamaan s&#x27;ya sa Butig, very active siya sa social media. Kahit inaatake sila sa Basilan noon naka-FB (Facebook) online siya but now we cannot see him. Even sa very active Maute account, it&#x27;s minus Isnilon.&quot; (To compare his life before he was wounded in Butig, he was very active on social media. Even when they were being hunted down in Basilan, we was online on Facebook, but we no longer see him. Even on the very active Maute account, it&#x27;s minus Isnilon.) Hapilon is a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf terror group. The military in January claimed that 15 terrorists accompanying him were killed in airstrikes and that he was &quot;seriously wounded&quot;. Hapilon was reportedly carried by 4 men in a makeshift stretcher as military offensives continued, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana previously said. &quot;Para sa akin lang pananaw, patay na siguro. But still meron kasi minsan style na matagal silang magtatago, alam nila hot item sila at high-value target,&quot; Fortes said. (In my opinion, he may already be dead. But still, they would sometimes hide as they know they are hot items and high-value targets.)Hapilon is on the United States&#x27; list of &quot;Most Wanted Terrorists&quot;. He was indicted in Washington for his involvement in the 2001 kidnapping of 3 Americans in the Philippines and has a $5-million bounty on his head from the US government. Fortes said their field reports indicated that Hapilon was planning to make Lanao del Sur a base of operation and eventually take over the entire province because of its strategic location. &quot;Because of the topographical description as compared to the island, mayroong room of maneuverability. Malaki ang lugar. Makakahasik sila ng lagim sa CDO, Cotabato, Pagadian, Iligan, madali lang -- unlike sa Jolo at Basilan, confined lang sila,&quot; he explained. (Because of the topographical description as compared to the island, there is room for maneuverability, the area is vast. From there, they easily could spread terror to CDO, Cotabato, Pagadian, Iligan -- unlike in Jolo and Basilan, where they are confined.)<div>EVACUEES&#x27; HEALTH</div>The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the provincial health office on Thursday entered the conflict zone amid security threats and the spread of diseases among evacuees. The evacuees&#x27; health condition prompted government officials to conduct a medical mission.&quot;Mga upper respiratory tract infection, influenza sa mga bata dahil dun sa mga bala, powder ng mga bomba kaya nagkaroon ng ganoong allergic reaction. Iba, nagkaroon ng diarrhea,&quot; said Shalimar Rakiin, a provincial health officer. (Upper respiratory tract infection and influenza is rampant among children because of the power from the bombs which causes allergic reaction. Others had diarrhea.) The DOH also set up a psycho-social and mental management clinic for children traumatized by the armed conflict.PRC, meanwhile, distributed relief supplies and food to residents inside the evacuation zone and to some 400 families who were still in the evacuation center. The relief operation and medical mission were heavily guarded by security forces as firefights continued to rage between the military and the ISIS-linked Maute terror group.

MANILA - Isnilon Hapilon, believed to be the head of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia, may already be dead, an Army official said Thursday.

MANILA - Isnilon Hapilon, believed to be the head of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia, may already be dead, an Army official said Thursday.

Isnilon Hapilon may already be dead, says Army general

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

News

Isnilon Hapilon may already be dead, says Army general

Ron Gagalac,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 27, 2017 05:11 PM PHT

Read More:

terrorism

Abu Sayyaf

Islamic State

Isnilon Hapilon

defense and security

Army

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.