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The Philippines military on Tuesday confirmed the death of Hatib Hadjan Sawadjaan, one of the top leaders of the extremist Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and the designated Daesh emir in Mindanao.
Sawadjaan added by the US to its list of global terrorists in 2019 and named as the mastermind behind a deadly cathedral bombing that same year.
Authorities said earlier that Sawadjaan had suffered fatal injuries during an encounter with government troops in a jungle near Patikul town, Sulu province, in July. But there was no official confirmation until Tuesday.
Furthermore, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr. confirmed Sawadjaan’s death, saying there were no more sightings of him.
