MARAWI—Government troops bombed militants loyal to the Islamic State (IS) group who have held out for over four months in Marawi City and the military said the conflict would be over “very soon”.
The army previously set a target of Sunday to end the fighting in Marawi, 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.
On Sunday FA-50 fighter jets flew over Marawi as soldiers fought the militants house-to-house in an area which has now shrunk to about 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 Maute group militants, told reporters.
The Maute group gunmen overran occupied parts of Marawi, the country’s Islamic capital, on May 23.
Since then 822 militants, 162 government forces and 47 civilians have been killed, Brawner said.
The insurgents have withstood a relentless US-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 Rodrigo 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 Omar Maute, whose group had pledged allegiance to IS.
Hapilon is said to be the emir of ISIS in Southeast Asia. The fighting in Marawi started May 23 when government forces tried to arrest Hapilon.
The military earlier said the other Maute brothers—Abdullah, Madi, Otto—have already been killed in the clashes.
But there were also 100 civilians in the zone including hostages and families of the militants, Brawner added.
“Women and children are now forced to fight together with the Maute-ISIS fighters. These are desperate measures the Maute-ISIS are doing. This is their last defensive stand,” Brawner said, using another acronym for IS.
Duterte on Thursday warned against celebrating the eventual liberation of Marawi, citing the deaths and devastation there. “When we leave Marawi, we go quietly. We do not want to show any kind of celebration or happiness,” he said.
On Saturday, five people were abducted by unidentified gunmen in a coastal town in Sulu.
Reports identified the victims as Vergel Arquino, 25, resident of Davao City; Joshua Ibanez 23, Emo Pausto, 63; Jonaldo Minalang, 24; and Spriano Sardido, 53, all residents of Pagadian City.
They were on board a fishing boat when they were taken.
No group has claimed responsibility for the latest kidnapping, which has been on the decline after the military launched a punishing offensive to wipe out the Abu Sayyaf group.