CLARK – US Defense Secretary James Mattis yesterday praised the Philippines for its successes in battling Islamic State supporters, as he began an Asian trip aimed at reaffirming American support for regional allies.
Mattis echoed President Duterte’s statement last week that Filipino forces had “liberated’’ the Marawi City after five months of bitter urban fighting that had claimed more than 1,000 lives, even though battles have continued.
“One of the first things I’m going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists,’’ Mattis told reporters on the flight to the Philippines, according to an official transcript.
“It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao. And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists.’’
Gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS occupied parts of Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23 in what Duterte said was a bid to establish a Southeast Asian caliphate there.
Hundreds of insurgents withstood a US-backed military campaign, including near daily air strikes and artillery fire, that displaced more than 400,000 people and left large parts of Marawi in ruins. (AFP)
