JOINT Task Force Marawi on Wednesday announced that it overran and took control of another stronghold of the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists in the main battle area in Marawi City.
Brig. Gen. Rolando Joselito Bautista, Joint Task Force Marawi commander, said troops wrested control of Dansalan College from the terrorist groups.
Bautista said the terrorists had used posted machine gun nests and snipers on some of the tall buildings on campus.
Dansalan College was where the Maute brothers—Abdulla and Omar—had their earlier education.
Troops found caliber .50 heavy machine guns and 14 other high-powered firearms.
“Soldiers are gradually taking over terrorist-held structures as enemy strong points fall one by one to government forces,” the Joint Task Force Marawi said in a statement.
Bautista said the recovery of the high-powered firearms brought to 410 the total number of firearms recovered by troops in clearing operations within the main battle area.
He said the troops also recovered a cadaver of a foreign-looking individual and is believed that it is one of the reported fighters from Singapore.
A total of 11 suspected foreign fighters have been reportedly killed so far since the start of the fighting on May 23.
Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the military was doing its best to locate the individuals in the arrest orders issued by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, martial law administrator.
Padilla said most of the arrested individuals have already been charged in court and noted the spate of arrests recently.
The US Embassy, meanwhile, said the United States has offered to help the Duterte administration rehabilitate Marawi.
Duterte and American Ambassador to Manila Sung Kim met Monday on the terrorist threat in the region.
“Ambassador Kim had a productive discussion with President Duterte on Monday focused extensively on the terrorist threat in the region, in which the ambassador also indicated the US desire to assist in Marawi’s reconstruction,” US embassy deputy press secretary Emma Nagi said. John Paolo Bencito and Sara Susanne D. Fabunan
Nagi noted that currently, the US government is conducting a number of development projects in Mindnao, through its non-government organization, the USAID.
“Those projects address governance, peace and security, education, health, environment and city services,” Nagi said.
“We look forward to working in close coordination with the Philippine government to build on those projects to help in the reconstruction of Marawi and the surrounding areas,” she added.