Gov't forces secure 90% of Marawi City — AFP

From the Philippine News Agency (May 31): Gov't forces secure 90% of Marawi City — AFP

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Wednesday said that government forces have already secured about 90 percent of Marawi City following more than a week of clashes with Islamist militants who sowed terror in several parts of the city since May 23.

"Our fighting forces estimate that they are reaching about 90 percent completely cleared and a little bit more than 10 percent more to go," AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said during the Mindanao Hour press briefing in Malacañang.

Mindanao Hour, launched last Monday, seeks to provide regular authoritative updates on what is happening on the ground in Marawi City and relevant regions in Mindanao that aims to provide the public with carefully vetted news from authoritative sources.

The AFP official said however that though only pockets of resistance remain, government forces expect fierce resistance in the remaining places where the militants, who are believed to be holding some civilian hostages, are holding out.

The military believes that the notorious leader of the extremists, Isnilon Hapilon, is still in the area.

“That 10 percent is most likely going to be the area that will be heavily guarded and defended by any of these armed men if they are protecting any individual of high value,” Padilla said.

“We believe he (Hapilon) is still there and we believe that is why they're putting up a very stiff resistance in the areas that they are still being held up and being cleared,” he added.

In the meantime, Padilla said that official reports show that there continues to be a very positive development in the area of Marawi.

Official figures released by Malacañang showed that 89 militants were killed in eight days of fighting that also led to the recovery of 91 firearms, 81 of which are high-powered.

On the other hand, the government has lost 21 of its security forces while 19 civilians were killed.

“The recovery of these high-powered firearms continues to reduce the capability of these armed groups to do the violent activities that they have been doing for quite some time,” Padilla pointed out.

He also confirmed that eight members of the Maute terror group holed out in Marawi have surrendered to the AFP.

“These individuals have been talked to and debriefed and have provided very, very valuable intelligence,” the military spokesman said.

In the meantime, Padilla assured residents who are trapped in the area that security forces are doing everything to avoid any collateral damage that may ensue from the ongoing clashes.

He estimated the number of residents trapped within the areas of fighting to be around 1,000 persons.

“Our rules of engagements have not changed. We put priority on civilian lives and private property. The amount of force that we are using right now in the area is commensurate only to the resistance and the enemy force that we are facing,” he said.

So far, the AFP spokesman said that the judicious use of military force, which included airstrikes, have not killed any civilian.

“We are confident that we have not had any collateral damage in the use of airstrike. Based on the reports that we have got, we have not had any collateral damage to that effect on lives. On property, yes; but on lives, none,” Padilla said.

He also assured the families of those believed to have been taken hostage by the militants that security forces are doing everything to secure their safe release.

“Our assurance to the families of all those who may still be hostage in the hands of these armed men is the assurance that we are doing all our best to keep them safe, to guarantee their safe release as much as possible, and within the parameters for which we are trying to operate now,” Padilla said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/992487