ISIS brags about battle for Marawi, claims over 300 Philippine troops dead

From AMN Al-Masdar News (Aug 19): ISIS brags about battle for Marawi, claims over 300 Philippine troops dead



Amaq Agency released an infographic on Friday detailing alleged losses sustained by the Philippine Army during the three-month battle for Marawi, a large city on the island of Mindanao in the southern part of the country.

If one is to believe Amaq Agency, 335 government soldiers have been killed in 86 days of fighting. In addition, 8 armored vehicles have been destroyed and one more heavily damaged.

The Islamic State also emphasised the role of its snipers, stating 37 deaths to have been inflicted by them. One church has also been burnt down by the jihadists, represented on the ground by the ISIS-linked Maute and Abu Sayyaf groups.

The official army death toll is less than half according to government officials. Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Task Force Marawi, said that since the fighting began, 128 soldiers and policemen have been killed.

The figure included those killed in what the military dubbed as “friendly fires.”

On the other hand, some 500 ISIS insurgents have been killed during the battle for Marawi, army officials claim. At the moment, between 70 and 80 jihadist militants remain bogged down in an urban area measuring about 800 by 600 meters in downtown Marawi.

Thus far, Amaq Agency has released a handful of videos showing urban warfare in Marawi.

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-brags-battle-marawi-claims-300-philippine-troops-dead/