Philippine soldiers in a battle to recapture Marawi city (Source: AFP/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - After almost four months of fierce fighting, the battle torecapture the Philippines’s southern city of Marawi from pro-Islamic State (IS)fighters is drawing to an end, Philippine authorities have said.
PhilippineDefense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told a press conference on September 18 thathe believes the 118-day conflict will end soon.
Thecountry’s army just needs to liberate an area of about 10 hectares which arestill under the control of the militants, he added.
Meanwhile,Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines General Eduardo Ano saidthree of the five jihadist leaders of the militants that attacked Marawi in Mayhave already been killed.
Themilitary said there are an estimated 60 to 80 IS fighters left after nearly 700of them have been killed in the ongoing conflict.
Atleast 10 Malaysian and Indonesian fighters are helping the local Mauteterrorist group, Ano said.
A day earlier, the Philippine army said they controlledthe command center of IS-linked militants in the city of Marawi, affirming thatthis was a big success to further weaken the terrorist group.
The number of victims as a result ofthe conflict has already exceeded 800 people. More than 500,000 local residentshave been evacuated.
President of the Philippines RodrigoDuterte announced the extension of martial law in Mindanao province so that lawenforcement forces can wipe all terrorists out of the country’s southern region.-VNA
VNA
