<div><b><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The Philippine military said on Monday it had received reports of the death of Radullan Sahiron, the remaining top leader of the militant Abu Sayyaf Group.</span><br></b></div><div><br></div><div>Formed in 1991, ASG was initially heavily influenced by Al-Qaeda and has been notorious since the early 2000s for assassinations, extortion, and kidnappings.</div><div><br></div><div>The group was a significant source of violent conflict between 2011 and 2018, with some of its factions pledging allegiance to Daesh in 2014.</div><div><br></div><div>Sahiron is ASG’s chief leader and was one of its first members. He has been on the FBI’s most-wanted list since 1993, with a $1 million bounty on his head.</div><div><br></div><div>“We have obtained information (that Radullan Sahiron) is dead,” Maj. Gen. Ignatius Patrimonio, commander of the 11th Infantry Division designated to fight militancy in Sulu, told Arab News on Monday.</div><div><br></div><div>Sulu province, in the country’s Mindanao region, was formerly a known stronghold of ASG.</div><div><br></div><div>Patrimonio added: “We haven’t seen the body… We have (made) efforts to find his corpse, so slowly we are reaching out to his former members and even members of his family.</div><div><br></div><div>“He is recognized as the remaining senior leader of the group and no one has emerged to become his successor… so it would lead to the demise of the ASG.”</div><div><br></div><div>Sahiron took over ASG’s leadership in 2006 after the death of Khadafi Janjalani, who had succeeded his brother and the group’s founder Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani.</div><div><br></div><div>ASG has been identified as the main Daesh affiliate in the Philippines due to some of its factions, but Sahiron has never pledged allegiance to the militant group.</div><div><br></div><div>Patrimonio said authorities had received “a lot of reports” of Sahiron’s death, adding that at least 21 of his closest followers had surrendered earlier this year.</div><div><br></div><div>Patrimonio added: “There are reports saying that he is already sickly, probably due to old age. He is, I think, in his late 70s.”</div><div><br></div><div>Sahiron’s death would provide a chance for the Philippine military to eliminate the ASG, said Rikard Jalkebro, an expert on international relations and associate professor at Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi.</div><div><br></div><div>Jalkebro told Arab News: “It could be a golden opportunity for the military. Right now, the demise (of ASG) has already started based on high-profile people being captured and killed and also surrendering. It’s a good sign.” - Arab News</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>