Isnilon Hapilon may have fled Marawi City

Screengrab taken from video released by the Philippine Army on June 18, 2017 shows Isnilon Hapilon (second left), leader of hardline group Abu Sayyaf, and Abdullah Maute (right) discussing an improvised map of Marawi at an undisclosed location on Mindanao. - AFP

MARAWI CITY (Philippines): One of America’s most wanted terrorists may have escaped a five-week battle with Islamist militants in a southern Philippine city, which began with a raid to capture him, the military said Saturday.

Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant said to be the leader of the Islamic State (IS) group in Southeast Asia, has not been seen in the battle zone in Marawi City, said Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, head of the military’s Western Mindanao Command.