Troops bomb Marawi militants, rescue 120 civilians

 Army tanks packed with soldiers rolled into the streets of Marawi City Thursday  while troops aboard helicopters bombed areas where groupings of militant members of the Maute terror group were sighted in efforts to restore control after the group laid siege over selected barangays Tuesday.

Much of Marawi was still a no-go zone yesterday. Automatic gunfire and explosions could be heard in the distance and plumes of black smoke rose from the direction of the city center.

An initial rampage by the gunmen, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to impose martial law in Mindanao for a period of 60 days.

Authorities said ending the crisis was proving extremely hard because, although there were only 30 to 40 remaining militants, the armed men were moving nimbly through homes, had planted bombs in the streets and were holding hostages.

Intense fighting could be heard constantly throughout the day, according to an AFP reporter in the city, and the military said it had dropped bombs on residential neighborhoods.

“We are using surgical airstrikes,” local military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera told reporters in Marawi shortly before big clouds of black smoke rose from a bombed area near the provincial government building.

GHOST TOWN

Most of Marawi’s 200,000 residents had fled the city to nearby Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities but Herrera said those who remained had been warned to get out of the areas where there was bombing and fighting.

“We are requesting our people in Marawi to go to safe places… and to stay indoors,” he said.

‘’People are afraid. They do not want to open establishments. Offices are closed. We do not want people to be used as human shields,’’ Marawi Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra said.

The Armed Forces reported killing at least 13 Maute members.  The GMA television network showed images of nine bullet-riddled bodies of civilians who were tied together and left in a grassy area after they were reportedly killed by militants in a checkpoint they had set up in the early hours of the siege.

The encounter between military troops and the bandits resulted in the death of five soldiers, two policemen and two hospital employees. Thirty-one soldiers were injured in the skirmish.

Duterte revealed that one of the cop victims was killed when he was caught by militants in a checkpoint and beheaded the official.

The militants are also holding the vicar general of the Prelature of Marawi and 13 other Catholic parishioners.

CLEARED

Troops of Joint Task Force Zampelan (Zamboanga Peninsula and Lanao) headed by Brigadier General Rolly Bautista continue to zero-in on remaining Maute members holding fort in three Marawi City barangays and were able to retake areas earlier occupied by some Maute members.

At 3 p.m. Wednesday, the Amai Pakpak Hospital which was occupied briefly by Maute members  and held captive 78 persons (8 patients, 49 construction workers, and 21 hospital staff) was already cleared of Maute presence.

Members of the Maute Group arrived at the hospital Tuesday afternoon, killing a policeman and a security guard before they entered the facility.  According to sources, the militants brought with them two wounded cohorts for treatment and in the process held captive all 78 people present.

Security troops likewise rescued 42 teachers attending a seminar who were trapped during the siege.

Soldiers were also able to recover a number of bomb-making components from a safehouse previously occupied by the terrorist group.

SUPPORTED BY POLITICIANS

“Terrorism problem is something we all have to battle together as one humanity who are strongly against it,” Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) chief Lt. Gen. Carlito G. Galvez Jr., said.

“Many people in Marawi and in other areas are denying the presence of a looming terrorism threat in their communities. Sadly, we even received reports that there were even politicians supporting the group in some way,” he added.

Galvez said this threat is something that needs to be eliminated and completely destroyed because if left to thrive, it will soon poison our communities and take our freedom and our precious lives.

“We are therefore calling on all citizens not only those in Marawi but also in other areas of Mindanao to join us in the fight. We have to make noise and disallow these terrorist to destroy our communities. Let us all make a strong stance against this menace before it gets us,” Galvez said.

“We would like to pay tribute to our soldiers who perished and made the ultimate sacrifice while delivering their duty to the nation. I am saddened by this loss, but their story will forever be etched in the pages of history. They will be known as heroes who defended Marawi from the claws of terrorism,” he added. (With reports from AP and Nonoy E. Lacson)

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by AFP and Francis Wakefield

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