CLARK: A five-month struggle against Islamic State supporters within the southern Philippines that claimed more than 1,000 lives has ended, the nation's defence secretary stated on Monday.
"We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana informed newshounds on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Clark, a northern Philippine city.
Lorenzana stated there have been no more militants, recognized locally as coming from the Maute crew, offering resistance following an intense ultimate struggle after which 42 bodies were recovered.
"Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes and they were caught in one building and so there was a firefight so they were finished," he stated
"All terrorists, fighting troops. All hostages have been recovered."
Hundreds of gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS rampaged thru Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23, then took over portions of town the use of civilians as human shields.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and security analysts stated the militants were looking to identify a Southeast Asian caliphate in Marawi.
The ensuing US-backed army marketing campaign to evict the militants claimed more than 1,000 lives, displaced 400,000 residents and left massive portions of Marawi in ruins.
Duterte travelled to Marawi on Tuesday remaining week and declared town were "liberated", in a while after the Southeast Asian leader for IS, a Filipino militant named Isnilon Hapilon, was once shot useless there.
However the continuing preventing raised questions over whether or not town was once certainly free of the militants.
US Defence Secretary James Mattis today praised the Philippines for its luck in Marawi.
"One of the first things I'm going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists," Mattis informed newshounds on board a flight to the Philippines to attend the security meeting in Clark.
"It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao (the local region). And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists."
Hapilon, who was once on america government's record of most- sought after terrorists, was once killed at the side of one in every of crew's other leaders, Omarkhayam Maute, in line with the military.
Hapilon and Maute, at the side of hundreds of other militants, were able to defy close to daily bombing raids that left a lot of town in ruins by means of sheltering in basements and travelling thru tunnels, in line with the military.
The impoverished southern Philippines, home to many of the nation's Muslim minority, has for many years endured struggle.
The nation's greatest Muslim insurrection crew is in talks with the government to finish a rebellion that started within the 1970s and has claimed more than 120,00 lives.
"We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana informed newshounds on the sidelines of a regional security meeting in Clark, a northern Philippine city.
Lorenzana stated there have been no more militants, recognized locally as coming from the Maute crew, offering resistance following an intense ultimate struggle after which 42 bodies were recovered.
"Those are the last group of stragglers of Mautes and they were caught in one building and so there was a firefight so they were finished," he stated
"All terrorists, fighting troops. All hostages have been recovered."
Hundreds of gunmen who had pledged allegiance to IS rampaged thru Marawi, the Islamic capital of the mainly Catholic Philippines, on May 23, then took over portions of town the use of civilians as human shields.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and security analysts stated the militants were looking to identify a Southeast Asian caliphate in Marawi.
The ensuing US-backed army marketing campaign to evict the militants claimed more than 1,000 lives, displaced 400,000 residents and left massive portions of Marawi in ruins.
Duterte travelled to Marawi on Tuesday remaining week and declared town were "liberated", in a while after the Southeast Asian leader for IS, a Filipino militant named Isnilon Hapilon, was once shot useless there.
However the continuing preventing raised questions over whether or not town was once certainly free of the militants.
US Defence Secretary James Mattis today praised the Philippines for its luck in Marawi.
"One of the first things I'm going to do when I get there is commend the Philippine military for liberating Marawi from the terrorists," Mattis informed newshounds on board a flight to the Philippines to attend the security meeting in Clark.
"It was a very tough fight as you know in southern Mindanao (the local region). And I think the Philippine military sends a very strong message to the terrorists."
Hapilon, who was once on america government's record of most- sought after terrorists, was once killed at the side of one in every of crew's other leaders, Omarkhayam Maute, in line with the military.
Hapilon and Maute, at the side of hundreds of other militants, were able to defy close to daily bombing raids that left a lot of town in ruins by means of sheltering in basements and travelling thru tunnels, in line with the military.
The impoverished southern Philippines, home to many of the nation's Muslim minority, has for many years endured struggle.
The nation's greatest Muslim insurrection crew is in talks with the government to finish a rebellion that started within the 1970s and has claimed more than 120,00 lives.
Five-month battle with ISIS ends in Philippine city
![Five-month battle with ISIS ends in Philippine city]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
October 23, 2017
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