Philippine news portal ABS-CBN News reported that policemen and soldiers were going to serve an arrest warrant on Abu Zacharia in Marawi City but he threw a mortar and two hand grenades at them.

A 10-minute firefight ensued, killing Zacharia and wounding one soldier, the Philippine military’s Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) said in a statement.

Zacharia’s aide was also killed in a follow-up raid in the same city, Xinhua reported.

Zacharia, whose real name is Faharudin Hadji Satar, took over the helm of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia in late 2021.

In May 2017, he led a terrorist group which laid siege on Marawi City, leading to a five-month gun battle that left the city in ruins and killed 168 soldiers and policemen, 47 civilians and 1,000 terrorists.

The siege also displaced thousands of residents and reduced the city to rubble.