Terrorist leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute were killed while trying to escape, according to the commander of the 8th Scout Ranger Company that assaulted the militants’ stronghold in Marawi Tuesday.
Nicknamed the “Destroyer,” the company commander said they were not aware at first that the terrorists they killed were Hapilon and Maute in his narration that appeared in the Facebook page of Scout Ranger Books.
The “Destroyer” said they deployed two teams of Scout Rangers to block two possible escape routes of the trapped terrorists at around 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Each team was equipped with an armored vehicle with thermal capability.
At around 1:30 a.m. Monday, the Scout Rangers spotted a terrorist crossing the deserted street. A shot was fired and the terrorist fell on the pavement. The fatality turned out to be Maute.
Another terrorist was also shot by the secondary weapon of the armored vehicle while trying to peek from his hiding place. He turned out to be Hapilon.
The “Destroyer” said his team also downed terrorists trying to help Hapilon and Maute.
“Madaling araw, inattempt ng mga kasama ng dalawang terorista na i recover ang mga katawan ng dalawang tumba na kasama nila. E nilamayan ng Rangers. Kada may lumapit, pitikan,” the “Destroyer” narrated.
At the first sign of daylight, the Scout Rangers, assisted by the armored vehicles, rushed to retrieve the bodies.
At this point, the “Destroyer” said women hostages came out of the building and told them the bodies belong to Hapilon and Maute.
“Hiyawan, sigawan lahat ng tropa! Di nila akalain na natumba na pala nila ang dalawang leader ng mga terorista,” the “Destroyer” recalled.
The Scout Ranger Books page is owned by Col. Dennis Eclarin, author of several books about Scout Rangers.