Philippine troops using ‘maximum force’ in bid to drive militants out of Marawi City on southern island
A city of 200,000 people, Marawi is mostly deserted, with officials saying “80-90 per cent” of the population has fled
Philippine armed forces helicopters fired guided rockets at Islamist militant positions in an attempt to flush militants from the southern city of Marawi.
The use for the first time of the heavy firepower came amid growing confidence that the location
of the man believed to be the leader of the Islamic State-inspired fighters, Isnilon Hapilon, has been pinpointed in the city.
“We are trying to use our maximum force,” said Major General Carlito Galvez, who heads the military command in the Western Mindanao region. “The main purpose of the offensive is to suppress the lawlessness and to maintain normalcy in Marawi so that our people here, our countrymen, can return, especially by Ramadan.”
The Maute rebels’ hold of Marawi City and the government’s announcement that Indonesians and Malaysians were among the fighters has raised alarm about the prospect of Islamic State’s radical ideology gaining traction in Southeast Asia.
The Maute have emerged from the glut of bandit and separatist groups in the southern Philippines. Security experts say Mindanao could become a draw for regional extremists and the Maute’s alignment with Islamic State and its ability to take on the military could support moves to secure funding and recruit foreign and local fighters.
A city of 200,000 people, Marawi is mostly deserted, with officials saying “80-90 per cent” of the population has fled.