More than 1,000 people have been killed in Marawi since extremists occupied the city in the southern Philippines. The military annonced yesterday Sunday 15 Oct, 2017 and promised an end to the fighting to be soon. The F-50 fighter jets continued to fly over the largest Muslim city in the largely Catholic archipelago of the Philippines. The soldiers continue to fight to regain control of the buildings.
The army had recently set a deadline on Sunday to expel the Islamic militants. It is not the first time that Manila has extended the deadline. Some gunmen declared allegiance to an organization that has advocated and squandered many buildings
The fighting began on May 23, 2017 following a failed attempt to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, one of the most wanted men in the world. He isthe leader of ISIS inSoutheast Asia.
Hundreds of armed extremists, including foreigners, have rumored the chaos in Marawi city. The army later said the attempt to capture the leader had prompted extremist militants to launch prematurely their assault on the city.
Since May, 822 Islamic militants, 162 military personnel, policemen and 47 civilians have been killed, according to Colonel Browner.
The Philippine military command announced last week that it would eliminate the insurgency before October 15. President Rodrigo Duterti confirmed Friday that the battle was “almost over.”
Twenty soldiers were wounded on Saturday, according to Browner, who said there were still 40 insurgents holed up in the city, including Isnilon Habilon and Omar Khayyim Muti, whose group also claimed a sympathetic organization.
One hundred civilians remain inside the area, which is dominated by the militants, including hostages and armed families.