Last stand: Philippine army battles final 30 Muslim militants in Marawi

Philippine troops on Sunday were battling a final group of about 30 pro-Islamic State group militants who were surrounded in one building with all their hostages gone as a nearly five-month siege neared its end in southern Marawi city, a military official said.

Army Colonel Romeo Brawner said troops were aiming to end the crisis before midnight on Sunday.

He said the battle area was around a two-floor building near Lake Lanao where the firefight continued to rage at noon.

“Our government forces will try to do everything to finish the firefight today,” Brawner said at a news conference in Marawi. He said the remaining fighters, who include some Indonesians and Malaysians, have three options: “It’s either they all get killed, because they’re determined to die inside, or we capture them or they surrender.”

A gradual withdrawal of military forces was underway with the easing of the fighting, which has left at least 1,131 people dead, including 919 militants and 165 soldiers and policemen. Troops continued to ask the gunmen, who are leaderless and running low on ammunition, to surrender by using loudspeakers, Brawner said.

Military chief of staff General Eduardo Ano said some of the militants were “suicidal”.