philippines declares battle with proisis militants over in marawi city
Tuesday 18 March 2025
Last Updated : GMT 09:40:38
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Philippines declares battle with pro-ISIS militants over in Marawi City

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchroniclePhilippines declares battle with pro-ISIS militants over in Marawi City

Damaged buildings beside a mosque are seen after government troops cleared the area from pro-ISIS militants inside a war-torn area in Marawi city.
Marawi - Muslimchronicle

The Philippines on Monday announced the end of five months of military operations in a southern city held by pro-ISIS militants, after a fierce and unfamiliar urban war that has marked the country’s biggest security crisis in years.

Offensive combat operations were terminated after troops put a stop to the last stand of rebel gunmen who clung on inside several buildings in the heart of Marawi, and refused to surrender.

Artillery and automatic gunfire were still heard on Monday and Reuters journalists saw flames behind a mosque. The bodies of 40 fighters and two of their wives were found there and in two buildings close by.

Ernesto Abella, spokesman for President Rodrigo Duterte, said the Philippines had prevailed against “the most serious threat of violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia”.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the security forces had “nipped the budding infrastructure” of extremist groups.

“In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia,” Lorenzana said in Clark at a meeting of regional defense ministers.

The militant occupation stunned a military inexperienced in urban combat and stoked wider concerns that ISIS loyalists have gained influence among local Muslims and have ambitions to use the island of Mindanao as a base for operations in Southeast Asia.

Those fears are compounded by the organization of the militant alliance and its ability to recruit young fighters, lure foreign radicals, stockpile huge amounts of arms and endure 154 days of ground offensive and air strikes.

The authorities said 920 militants, 165 troops and police and at least 45 civilians were killed in the conflict, which displaced more than 300,000 people.

The center of the picturesque lakeside town is now in ruins due to heavy shelling and aerial bombing.

The deputy task force commander in Marawi, Colonel Romeo Brawner, said troops would secure the city from militant “stragglers” who might still be alive.

“If we find them and they will attack our soldiers or even the civilians, then we will have to defend ourselves,” he told reporters.

After months of slow progress, the military has made significant gains in retaking Marawi in the week since Isnilon Hapilon, the ISIS “emir” in Southeast Asia and Omarkhayam Maute, a leader of the Maute militant group, were killed in a nighttime operation.

Another leader and possible bankroller of the operation, Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, was likely killed also, the military said.

Military spokesman, Major General Restituto Padilla, confirmed there was still gunfire ongoing, but there were “no more terrorists” and the army’s last battles were with an enemy decimated by the loss of its leadership.

“They were formless, they had no place to run,” he said.

Duterte had declared Marawi City liberated six days ago, even though fighting was not actually over. On Sunday, he said it was important to be vigilant because no country could escape IISIS’ “clutches of evil”.


“I’m not trying to scare you, but let’s just be prepared for any event,” he said.

Lorenzana said six battalions of troops would remain in Marawi and though the battle had been won, the enemy’s radical ideology had not been completely annihilated.

He thanked the United States, Australia, Singapore and China for providing weaponry and technical support, including surveillance aircraft, and said the conflict would be a catalyst for closer international cooperation against extremism.

The government estimates the rebuilding of the heart of Marawi could cost in excess of $1 billion.

source: Alarabiya

themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

philippines declares battle with proisis militants over in marawi city philippines declares battle with proisis militants over in marawi city

 



Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle

GMT 11:22 2016 Saturday ,30 July

Harry Potter play hits London stage

GMT 11:06 2017 Monday ,10 April

Five Things We Have Learned From The Masters

GMT 07:52 2017 Sunday ,17 December

EU, OIC hold high-level meeting

GMT 12:54 2016 Saturday ,10 December

Stones roll back the years with chart-topping album

GMT 09:56 2017 Friday ,27 January

Tackling migration from Libya "crucial"

GMT 08:59 2017 Monday ,13 November

HM King thanked by Singapore president

GMT 09:27 2014 Saturday ,19 July

The circle of chaos

GMT 09:37 2017 Monday ,30 January

Iran's Oscar-winning director to skip awards

GMT 11:14 2012 Friday ,09 March

India on diplomatic tightrope

GMT 13:09 2012 Wednesday ,14 March

Saudi to cover oil shortfall

GMT 14:48 2017 Tuesday ,25 July

10 Afghan media workers killed in half year

GMT 12:18 2016 Tuesday ,29 November

England's scrum is the problem

GMT 13:27 2018 Saturday ,06 January

Eleven injured as stadium barrier collapses

GMT 19:52 2017 Tuesday ,21 November

Mugabe resigns for ‘smooth transfer of power’

GMT 09:34 2018 Tuesday ,02 January

Iranian Revolutionary guards officers lead insurgency

GMT 07:46 2017 Thursday ,12 October

IMF chief urges more support for global trade
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
Themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle
 
 Themuslimchronicle Facebook,themuslimchronicle facebook  Themuslimchronicle Twitter,themuslimchronicle twitter Themuslimchronicle Rss,themuslimchronicle rss  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube  Themuslimchronicle Youtube,themuslimchronicle youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©

muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle muslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle themuslimchronicle
themuslimchronicle
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle, themuslimchronicle