Most of Marawi’s 200,000 people have left the city but up to 2,000 people remain stranded (Photo: Ted Aljibe/AFP)Hanoi (VNA) – Up to 2,000 Philippine people are still stuck inside Marawicity of Mindanao, southern the Philippines, as fierce fighting between thePhilippine security forces and Islamic militants continues.
President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law in Mindanao shortly after thefighting erupted. However, fighting on the streets and a military bombingcampaign have failed to end the crisis in Marawi. Local authorities expressedalarm about the fate of the trapped people.
Zia Alonto Adiong,spokesman for the Mindanao crisis management committee, said that the peoplewho unable to leave areas held by militants are seeking help and they are anxiousfor running into checkpoints put up by gunmen.
Philippine authorities said gunmen had already murdered at least 19 civilians, includingwomen and children. Besides, 17 members of security forces and 61 militantswere killed in clashes.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella on May 29 said that Philippinesecurity forces gained authority in most of Marawi’s areas, only some smallparts were under militants’ control.
The violence in the city erupted on May 23 as security forces raided on thesuspected house of Isnilon Hapilon, a commander of the Abu Sayyaf group andleader of a branch of self-claimed Islamic State (IS) in the Philippines. The US regards Hapilon as one of the world'smost dangerous terrorists and has offered a bounty of five million USD for hiscapture.
President Duterte and Philippine military officials said that most of gunmen inMarawi belong to the Maute armed group which has about 260 members and pledgedallegiance with IS.-VNA
VNA
