Isnilon Hapilon, known to security analysts as the leader of the militant Islamic State group in Southeast Asia, was killed in the battle to reclaim a rebel-held Philippines city today (16).
IS has been trying to establish a caliphate in Southeast Asia as they suffer battlefield defeats in Iraq and Syria.
Pro-IS gunmen occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on 23rd of May.
Since then more than 1,000 people had been killed and 400,000 residents displaced.
Hapilon is also accused of involvement in the 2001 kidnappings including of three Americans, two of whom were later killed.