MARAWI CITY – Troops yesterday bombed militants loyal to the Islamic State group who have held out for over four months here and the military said the conflict would be over “very soon.”
The Army previously set a target of yesterday to end the fighting in this city, which it said has killed more than 1,000 people. Troops have missed previous deadlines to flush out the militants whom authorities said intended to establish a local IS caliphate.
FA-50 fighter jets flew over here yesterday as soldiers fought the militants house-to-house in an area which has now shrunk to about five acres (two hectares), a military spokesman said.
“We are hoping that we will end this Marawi siege very soon,’’ Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the task force battling the militants, told reporters.
Pro-IS gunmen occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23.
Since then 822 militants, 162 government forces, and 47 civilians have been killed, Brawner said.
The insurgents have withstood a relentless United States-backed bombing campaign and intense ground battles with troops that have left large parts of Marawi resembling devastated cities in war-torn Syria and Iraq.
Military commanders last week set a target of Oct. 15 to end the fighting and President Duterte on Friday said the battle was “almost over.’’
Twenty soldiers were wounded on Saturday in a sign troops were pushing hard to end the battle, Brawner said.
He said 40 militants remained in the conflict area, including leaders Isnilon Hapilon, who is on America’s list of most wanted terrorists with a $5-million bounty, and Omarkhayam Maute, whose group had pledged allegiance to IS. (AFP)
