Sporadic clashes continue in Marawi

From Malaya Business Insight (Nov 6): Sporadic clashes continue in Marawi

SPORADIC clashes between government forces and remnants of the terrorist Maute Group in Marawi City reached the eighth day yesterday as the military continued to flush out Maute stragglers.

Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the military’s Joint Task Force Ranao, said the stragglers are believed to be scattered in the main battle area which the military earlier declared to have been cleared of terrorists.

“It’s still ongoing,” Brawner said of the sporadic fighting. “It’s been daily since last Sunday (October 30) when we killed one of them and followed by two others a few days later,” he also said.

Brawner was near the encounter area during a phone interview yesterday afternoon and gunfire can be heard from his phone.

The stragglers are a mix of Filipinos and foreigners but their exact number is still being verified, Brawner said.

In Iligan City, security forces arrested Indonesian Minhati Madrais alias Baby, 36, widow of Omarkayam Maute who was killed by government troops on October 16, about a week before the Marawi conflict ended.

Madrais, who carried an expired Indonesian passport, is among persons listed in Arrest Order No. 1 issued by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and martial law administrator.

Martial law was imposed by President Duterte in the whole of Mindanao after the Maute attacked Marawi City on May 23.

Police said government forces swooped down on Madrais’ lair at Steele Makers Village in Tubod, Iligan City, after receiving information on her whereabouts. Madrais was with her six children (four girls and two boys) when found by the raiding team. Recovered from her house were four blasting caps, two detonating cords, and a time fuse.

Madrais was brought to Iligan City Police Station along with her children who will be turned over to the local social welfare office.

Lorenzana ordered the termination of offensive operations against the Maute on October 23 or 154 days after the group attacked Marawi. Officials have said the last terrorist in Marawi had been taken down.

The Marawi conflict has resulted in the death of at least 900 Maute men, 165 soldiers and policemen, and 47 civilians. It has also displaced hundreds of thousands of residents who started to return to their homes last week.

On Wednesday last week, Indonesian terrorist Mohamadin Ilham Syaputra was arrested by government forces in Marawi City. Brawner said Syaputra claimed to have killed two Indonesian companions who had opposed his escape.

He also claimed there were 39 stragglers “but we are verifying this.”

“We’re monitoring the entire MBA (main battle area),” said Brawner. He said the MBA is composed of portions of 24 barangays and has a size of 2 x 1.5 kilometers.

Citing the statement of Syaputra, Brawner said the stragglers include women and children who are members of the families of Maute fighters. He said the stragglers are a mix of Filipinos and foreigners.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/sporadic-clashes-continue-marawi