The Philippine Congress on Saturday voted overwhelmingly to extend martial law in the south until the end of the year.

The legislators backed President Rodrigo Duterte's call for an extension in the Mindanao region to deal with Islamist gunmen who have occupied parts of a southern city for two months.

Duterte had previously imposed a 60-day martial law over Mindanao when fighting broke out in Marawi on May 23, but it was set to expire Saturday.