Team leader details how Isnilon Hapilon, Omar Maute were finally killed

The team leader of the Scout Ranger Company that led the assault that ended in the death of Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon on Friday detailed the operation that led to the top terrorist leaders' demise last Monday.

Marisol Abdurahman's report on "24 Oras" showed ground troops with tanks laying an attack on a building suspected to be a hiding place for Maute group members.

The team leader said they recieved intelligence reports that terrorists were keeping hostages inside the building.

Their information was confirmed on Sunday evening by a female hostage who managed to escape at around 11 p.m.

By 1 a.m. on Monday, the team was able to locate people occupying the building with the use of sophisticated weapons that showed heat-signatures. 

Unaware that the military had the area surrounded, a man walked out of a house and crossed the street to another building at 2 a.m. A few moments later, another man followed.

The team leader said they attacked them with the help of the Philippine Army's Light Reaction Company and the PNP's Special Action Force.

"Sabi ng tropa, meron na, meron, ang sabi. Ayun na, ayun, pag-tawid, eh 'di nakatawid, ma'am, nabugaan kaagad na tinamaan. Sa harapan mismo, ma'am, doon siya nakatawid sa kalsada," the team leader said.

In a separate video, terrorists were seen trying to pull one of the two men back to safety, but failed since government troops kept shooting.

The men were not aware of the identities of the two men until after the bodies were recovered at 6 a.m.

Later on, they were informed that they had eliminated were Hapilon and Maute. "Nadali, sir," the team leader said. —Margaret Claire Layug/JST, GMA News