Manila, Nov 6 (IANS): The Philippines police on Monday announced that the Islamic State (IS) terror group's Southeast Asia faction has a new leader after its former head was killed last month.

The Philippines National Police chief Ronald Dela Rosa said at a press conference that the police had received intelligence indicating that Malaysian national Amin Baco had become the leader of the faction based in the city of Marawi, reports Efe news.

The post had been lying vacant since troops killed former leader Isnilon Hapilon on October 16.

During the conference, Dela Rosa also presented Muhammad Ilham Syahputra, an Indonesian member of the IS who was captured in Marawi and who revealed important information about some 30 to 40 IS fighters who remain in the city.

The Marawi crisis began on May 23, when local and foreign fighters led by the Maute group took up arms.

After five months of fighting, 920 rebels, 165 soldiers and 47 civilians were dead, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced.

With the city liberated, the Army is working towards capturing the remaining fighters and sweeping the city for bombs and mines.