Marawi—Government forces dropped more bombs Saturday on Marawi City where they have been battling Islamist militants for five days, vowing no let-up despite the start of Ramadan until the terrorists have been ''neutralized.''
“We have identified where they are consolidating so we are doing surgical air strikes to destroy the local terrorist group,” local military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jo-ar Herrera told AFP.
President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across Mindanao in response to the clashes, which have claimed at least 48 lives and he has said are part of a campaign by the Islamic State group to establish a local caliphate.
Truckloads of marines reinforcements were also seen driving into Marawi, one of the biggest Muslim-populated cities in the mainly Catholic Philippines with about 200,000 residents.
Military chief Lt. General Eduardo Año said state troopers may have the upper hand but the area has proved to be difficult to penetrate.
“We are in total control of the whole area but it’s not cleared due to the terrorists using urban guerilla tactics,'' he said during President Duterte’s visit to the Army’s mechanized Batallion on Friday.
“We have to clear one step at a time, block to block,'' Año said.
The fighting erupted on Tuesday when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an attempt by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of IS.
They planted black IS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings.
Thirteen soldiers, two policemen and 31 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities.
Two civilians were also confirmed killed inside a hospital that the gunmen had occupied on Tuesday, and the military has said it is investigating reports that nine people were murdered at a checkpoint the militants had set up.
Duterte has vowed to extinguish the threat of the militants, whom he has said belong to the local Maute terrorist group but are being backed by criminals in the area.
Nevertheless, Duterte also said on Friday that he was prepared to talk with the group’s leaders.
Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said this was partly an offer made in the spirit of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began in the Philippines on Saturday.
“Together we pray for an end to terrorism that falsely claims to advance Islam and seeks to subjugate our land to the brutal IS,” Abella said in a statement.
“In this spirit of Muslim peace, the President has offered the hand of peaceful dialogue to terrorist groups, to avoid bloodshed in this time of prayer, fasting and mercy.”
However, there appear to be an extremely small chance of talks, unless they are to negotiate the release of the hostages.
Military spokesman Herrera said the security operations to rid Marawi of the gunmen would continue despite the start of Ramadan.
“It is painful for the Maranao [the name for local Muslims] that it is Ramadan but our action now is to protect Marawi,” Herrera said.
“These are the impacts of the local terrorist group’s actions.”
