Add Category
Posted
The Philippine military is urging Islamist militants occupying a southern city to turn themselves in as the brutal conflict that has left over 100 people dead enters its eighth day.
Key points:
- Thousands of civilians are trapped as a Catholic priest remains held hostage
- IS release a video of the priest pleading for help and saying there are 200 captives
- Fears rise that Islamic State's presence is spreading throughout Asia
The Government says it is close to retaking Marawi City from the Islamic State-linked Maute group, which seized parts of the city after a failed attempt by security forces to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the militants' so-called leader of South-East Asia.
"We call on the remaining terrorists to surrender while there is an opportunity," Brigadier-General Restituto Padilla said.
As helicopters circled the lakeside city where smoke billowed out of some buildings, troops cleared rebel positions amid explosions and automatic gunfire, moving house by house and street by street.
More than 100 people have been killed, most of them militants, according to the military, and most of the city's residents have fled.
But bodies of executed civilians with signs attached reading "Munafik" (traitor) have also recently been reported amongst the dead.
A Catholic priest held captive by the militants other civilians appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to consider their plight and stop the military operation.
Father Teresito "Chito" Soganub, vicar general of Marawi City, and the others were abducted in a cathedral last week — the priest said he was among 200 captives, including children.
"We are asking your help to please give what your enemies are asking for," the priest said on a video clip shown by the Islamic State group.
"We still want to live for another day, a month and a few years, please consider us Mr President."
General Padilla said the military was aware of the video but said he was confident the militants would not harm the priest because they wanted to use him to gain concessions.
"This is pure propaganda. The Maute group is using this to stop our clearing operations," he said.
A politician involved in efforts to evacuate residents, Zia Alonto Adiong, said authorities had cleared 85 per cent of the city but reclaiming the rest would be a challenge because they were dense urban areas with trapped civilians.
"There's an intensifying military operation that's going on," Mr Adiong told a media briefing.
Though most people have left, thousands are stranded, worried they could be intercepted by militants if they tried to flee.
Fears of Islamic State's rising presence in Asia
Martin Thalmann, deputy head of delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), said he tried, but failed to convince Islamic State affiliated insurgents and government forces to halt the violence so it can deliver aid.
"It's so intense, it's not possible," Mr Thalmann said, referring to the fighting.
"There's still a lot of people in there and of course it's a concern that they suffer under this shelling and we wonder if all the precautions are taken."
- The Maute are an armed Muslim group that's pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group.
- Hapilon was reportedly designated the leader of the alliance.
- The Maute has been blamed for a bomb attack that killed 15 people in southern Davao city, Duterte's hometown, last September.
- Last month, troops killed dozens of Maute militants and captured their jungle camp near Lanao del Sur's Piagapo town.
- Troops found homemade bombs, grenades, combat uniforms and passports of suspected Indonesian militants in the camp, the military said.
Air strikes were aimed at "specific targets of resistance to protect our troops and hasten clearing of the city", Philippine General Padilla said, adding that "collateral damage" was being prevented.
Nearly 85,000 displaced people are staying in 38 shelter areas outside of Marawi City.
Leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a separatist Muslim guerrilla group that has been in talks with the Government, said they had agreed to help distribute aid after they met the president for talks.
Mr Duterte had appealed on the weekend to rebel forces to become "soldiers of the republic" and unite to defeat the hard-line Maute and allied Abu Sayyaf groups.
The Maute's ability to fight for so long will add to fears that Islamic State's ideology is spreading in the southern Philippines and it could become a haven for militants from South-East Asia and beyond.
The Government believes the Maute carried out their assault before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to capture the attention of Islamic State militants and earn recognition as a regional affiliate.
Reuters/AP
Topics: world-politics, terrorism, unrest-conflict-and-war, philippines, asia