Philippines War on ISIS, Abu Sayaf, Maute: News & Discussions

[Daniel808]

Rodrigo Duterte ‘never approached America for’ help in fight against militants


THE United States has stepped in to help the Phillppines in its battle against a dangerous terrorist insurgency linked to Islamic State in the country’s south.

But in a confusing twist, President Rodrigo Duterte insists he didn’t actually seek the help of the US in the first place.

Duterte told a news conference in Cagayan de Oro City, around an hour from the besieged town of Marawi, that he “never approached America” for help.

The President was asked about the US support given to fight the pro-Islamic State militants in Marawi City on the island of Mindanao, but told reporters he was “not aware of that until they arrived,” Reuters reported.

The battle to regain control of the city comes three weeks after militants from Maute and the Abu Sayyaf militant group stormed the southern city which saw Duterte declare the island of Mindanao under martial law.

A US embassy spokesman in Manila said US special forces are helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to end the siege, which now in its third week.

Philippine security forces in Marawi City inspect empty houses and a hospital for guns and ammunition which the enemy might use against them. Picture: Jes Aznar/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

“The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines, and we will continue to work with the Philippines to address shared threats to the peace and security of our countries, including on counter-terrorism issues,” the spokesman said.

Philippine security forces inspect houses within the vicinity of a military camp and a hospital for guns and ammunition in Marawi city. Picture: Jes Aznar/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Philippine military officials confirmed the involvement of the US military in helping to end the urban uprising at the request of its own government.

The Pentagon said it was providing Philippine forces with security assistance and training in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

US forces are not participating in combat operations which is prohibited by Philippine law.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte consoles a relative of one of one of 13 slain marines killed in battle on June 9. Picture: Ted Aljbe/AFPSource:AFP

Under martial law the President has the power over the military and while not saying whether they had gone over his head he admitted his soldiers were “pro-American”.

However it remains unclear if pro-American military went over Duterte’s head in seeking help.

The apparent co-operation comes after a tense year between the once-close allies after Duterte has taken a hostile approach to Washington.

He even vowed to eject US military trainers and advisers from his country, Reuters reported.

TERROR INSURGENCY

The seizure of Marawi by hundreds of fighters who have sworn allegiance to Islamic State, including dozens from neighbouring countries and the Middle East, has fuelled concern that the ultraradical group is gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia.

Philippine military officials claim the latest violence has left at least 138 militants and 58 government troops dead.

A resident who escaped from Marawi City is frisked by local police as part of their security processing. Picture: Jes Aznar/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

At least 21 civilians have been killed, including a boy who was hit by suspected militant gunfire inside a Marawi mosque where his family had taken refuge.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the city, parts of which were reduced to rubble by fighting and government air strikes in an attempt to dislodge the rebels.

Around 200 militants remain holed up in a corner of the town and up to 1000 people are trapped.

Some are being held as human shields, while others are hiding in their homes with no access to running water, electricity or food.

A Philippine Marine holds an M60 machine gun during a handover ceremony of weapons from the US military in Manila last week. The United States have given counter-terrorism weapons to help the Philippine military fight Islamic militants. Picture: Ted Aljibe/AFPSource:AFP

The Marawi siege followed a May 23 army raid that failed to capture a top terror suspect, Isnilon Hapilon, who has been designated by the Islamic State group as its leader in Southeast Asia.

Hapilon is on Washington’s list of most-wanted terrorists with a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Military official claim the raid pre-empted a plot by hundreds of militants waving Islamic State group-style black flags to capture Marawi and kill Christians.

http://www.news.com.au/world/asia/r...s/news-story/a7e5ebe5a8b5c21f1fc0fbd2864af98b

 

[Banglar Bir]

FEDERICO PIERACCINI | 08.06.2017 | OPINION
Path to Hell: Daesh in the Philippines is a US Project

In a recent chain of events, the Philippines has been rushing towards chaos. The failure by the Philippine special forces to capture Isnilon Hapilon, considered to be the top brass of the infamous Abu Sayyaf organization in the country, coincided with a quick operation by a series of Daesh-affiliated terrorist groups to take the city of Mindanao. This is an escalation of internal and external pressure on the Duterte administration brought on by his foreign-policy shift.

The events of May 23 in Mindanao in the Philippines, the first city to fall into the hands of Daesh in Asia, shows disturbing parallels with the operational methods of Daesh in Syria, Iraq and Libya. The presence of 500 operatives, part of different dormant cells in Mindanao, allowed a coordinated assault on the police station and the city prison, enlarging the number of recruits and acquiring multiple firearms in the process. In a series of events difficult to verify, Daesh took control of the city and established several checkpoints. Employing an operational mix of tactics inspired by the beginning of the attacks on Syria in 2011 and in 2014, Daesh quickly expanded into Syria from Iraq.

The Philippines government and its armed forces have suffered numerous deaths and injuries, and although most of the city of Mindanao has now been brought under control, problems remain, with continued employment of fixed and rotary-wing aircraft as well as numerous ground troops to confront the threat.

The drama continued in the Asian country, with a bombing in Manila sending the country into panic and forcing authorities to leak little information in what was seemingly becoming a worsening climate.

How could this situation come about when only 12 months ago Duterte talked about a rebirth of the Philippines in economic and social terms?

Twelve months ago, this author wrote an article in which he explained in detail the strategic objectives of Duterte, the roots of his attempt to interact more with Moscow and Beijing, the failure of American policy in the Philippines, and strained communication between Obama and Duterte. The probable outcome and consequences of such an attitude could clearly be anticipated, being in contravention of Washington’s dictates.

Duterte, unlike many politicians, has kept his word to voters and has brought about important changes, in contrast to his predecessors. Rather than breaking historic links with Washington, Duterte has preferred to broaden his country’s horizons by starting a serious and fruitful dialogue with China and, to a lesser extent, Russia. Disputes regarding the Spratly Islands continue to divide Manila and Beijing, including with harsh tones, but both Duterte and Xi Jinping have reiterated that a diplomatic solution is the only possible option, and there is continued progress in this area. This is not exactly in line with the warmongering intentions of the military-industrial-espionage apparatus in Washington. The Spratly Islands are considered by American analysts and strategists as a possible point of confrontation between China and the US, as long as the American chosen ally, in this case the Philippines, agrees to be the tripwire. Duterte clearly understands US objectives in this context, particularly in the Asian region, which is to use of every ally as ammunition against China in a desperate attempt to contain Beijing's political, military and economic expansion in Asia. The Philippine president has clearly shown his intention not to sacrifice the interests of his country to benefit foreign nations like the US or Japan.

Duterte represents a real danger to the interests of the American establishment in Asia. In the last twelve months, he has applied to the letter what he promised, with an escalation in the war on terrorist organizations in the country, stepping up the fight against drug trafficking, and new diplomatic ties with Beijing and even Moscow, as evidenced by the recent meeting between Putin and Duterte.

The signs of a confrontation with Washington were already apparent during Obama's time. There are three clear phases in this path that led Manila toward a frontal confrontation with Washington. First was Duterte’s harsh words against Obama and the embarrassed responses of the US State Department; then the operations against terrorist cells and drug traffickers and the protests of international organizations on human-rights groups as well as several governments including the EU and US. In a few months, using the established techniques of media manipulation and distortion, Duterte passed from being an arrogant and unconventional president to being defined by some American media as a bloody murderer.

The operation to demolish the Philippines is in full swing, with its third phase starting a few weeks ago with the infiltration of Daesh into the country from Indonesia and Malaysia and the alliance with local terrorist groups. It seems that Washington has lost all hope with Duterte and prefers to continue to create permanent chaos in the country as it has done to nations hostile for American interests in the Middle East, North Africa and Afghanistan.

Duterte finds himself in a hazardous situation with heavy internal pressures and even rumors of an unholy alliance between terrorists and political opposition parties. The contemporary internal chaos that the Philippines faces seems to be the sum of recent dynamics and multiple forces at play both external and internal.

It is still too early to understand what could be the final outcome of this double confrontation. Duterte must first resist internal pressure from his opponents and clear them away. By doing this he will be able to focus on the terrorist danger and limit its spread.

Defeats and setbacks for Daesh and Al Qaeda in Syria have forced a number of operatives and terrorist assets to relocate to other areas of the globe, and Asia seems to have become the next target. It is essential that the Philippines security forces isolate terrorists and react quickly to future dangers. In Syria and Iraq the initial slowness to react to terrorist assaults allowed the takfiri to obtain initial gains from which to build defenses that made them difficult to dislodge.

Numerous rumors have been reported of rescue and evacuation operations of terrorists in Syria and Iraq. While it is hard to know where exactly the terrorists have been sent, by following the flow of money that feeds this network, one can trace everything back to Saudi Arabia. In a pattern already seen in Afghanistan through Pakistan, the terrorists funded by Riyadh would have arrived in the Philippines though Malaysia and Indonesia, two countries with pockets of Wahhabi and takfiri sympathizers.

It is to be noted, perhaps with little surprise, that during the beginning of operations against Daesh in the Philippines, John McCain was in Australia for a visit. It is curious that when Daesh launches a new operation, the senator always happens to be nearby, be it in Turkey with regard to events in Syria, or in Australia with regards to the Philippines.

Duterte, in the second phase, will need all possible allies in the region. Washington seems to have decided that if Duterte prevails over his internal opponents, then the Philippines will be condemned to suffer an escalation of tensions that will start to resemble the situation in the Middle East. From Washington's point of view, if they cannot control a country, they might as well destroy it and let it burn in the ensuing chaos.

It will be essential for Beijing to contribute toward securing the country and resolving the terrorist threat, if Duterte will be smart enough to seek help.

The American deep state sees the opportunity to spread the seeds of Middle-Eastern chaos to Asia. The objective is twofold: to prevent economic and political development linked to Beijing's role in the region, and to justify its military presence in the region in order to combat terrorism. Trump has underlinedover the last few days how the US is «monitoring the situation in Manila.»

The agreement between the Saudis, Israelis and Americans, as reported in my last article, is producing its first results, with what would appear to be the first steps towards transferring some terrorist assets from the Middle East, particularly Syria and Iraq, to Southeast Asia and even in the republics of Central Asia. In this respect Trump and the deep state share a common view of how to achieve their strategic goals. For Trump it comes down to giving the image of a POTUS who has kept his word by defeating terrorists in the Middle East. For the deep state, it is basically about directing its efforts towards containing China by any means possible. Terrorism is one of the numerous tools available, and in this context an agreement to move terrorists from Syria and Iraq (where Iran-Russia-Syria and Iraq are devastating the takfiri) to relocate them to Asia would meet with everyone’s agreement.

It seems that this perverse pact is at the root of many of the problems that the Philippines is facing today. As the situation evolves, observing the diplomatic movements between Beijing and Manila will be of crucial importance to understand what road Duterte will take to save his country from chaos.

https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2017/06/08/path-hell-daesh-philippines-us-project.html

 

[Beast]

Rodrigo Duterte ‘never approached America for’ help in fight against militants


THE United States has stepped in to help the Phillppines in its battle against a dangerous terrorist insurgency linked to Islamic State in the country’s south.

But in a confusing twist, President Rodrigo Duterte insists he didn’t actually seek the help of the US in the first place.

Duterte told a news conference in Cagayan de Oro City, around an hour from the besieged town of Marawi, that he “never approached America” for help.

The President was asked about the US support given to fight the pro-Islamic State militants in Marawi City on the island of Mindanao, but told reporters he was “not aware of that until they arrived,” Reuters reported.

The battle to regain control of the city comes three weeks after militants from Maute and the Abu Sayyaf militant group stormed the southern city which saw Duterte declare the island of Mindanao under martial law.

A US embassy spokesman in Manila said US special forces are helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to end the siege, which now in its third week.

Philippine security forces in Marawi City inspect empty houses and a hospital for guns and ammunition which the enemy might use against them. Picture: Jes Aznar/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

“The United States is a proud ally of the Philippines, and we will continue to work with the Philippines to address shared threats to the peace and security of our countries, including on counter-terrorism issues,” the spokesman said.

Philippine security forces inspect houses within the vicinity of a military camp and a hospital for guns and ammunition in Marawi city. Picture: Jes Aznar/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

Philippine military officials confirmed the involvement of the US military in helping to end the urban uprising at the request of its own government.

The Pentagon said it was providing Philippine forces with security assistance and training in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.

US forces are not participating in combat operations which is prohibited by Philippine law.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte consoles a relative of one of one of 13 slain marines killed in battle on June 9. Picture: Ted Aljbe/AFPSource:AFP

Under martial law the President has the power over the military and while not saying whether they had gone over his head he admitted his soldiers were “pro-American”.

However it remains unclear if pro-American military went over Duterte’s head in seeking help.

The apparent co-operation comes after a tense year between the once-close allies after Duterte has taken a hostile approach to Washington.

He even vowed to eject US military trainers and advisers from his country, Reuters reported.

TERROR INSURGENCY

The seizure of Marawi by hundreds of fighters who have sworn allegiance to Islamic State, including dozens from neighbouring countries and the Middle East, has fuelled concern that the ultraradical group is gaining a foothold in Southeast Asia.

Philippine military officials claim the latest violence has left at least 138 militants and 58 government troops dead.

A resident who escaped from Marawi City is frisked by local police as part of their security processing. Picture: Jes Aznar/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

At least 21 civilians have been killed, including a boy who was hit by suspected militant gunfire inside a Marawi mosque where his family had taken refuge.

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled the city, parts of which were reduced to rubble by fighting and government air strikes in an attempt to dislodge the rebels.

Around 200 militants remain holed up in a corner of the town and up to 1000 people are trapped.

Some are being held as human shields, while others are hiding in their homes with no access to running water, electricity or food.

A Philippine Marine holds an M60 machine gun during a handover ceremony of weapons from the US military in Manila last week. The United States have given counter-terrorism weapons to help the Philippine military fight Islamic militants. Picture: Ted Aljibe/AFPSource:AFP

The Marawi siege followed a May 23 army raid that failed to capture a top terror suspect, Isnilon Hapilon, who has been designated by the Islamic State group as its leader in Southeast Asia.

Hapilon is on Washington’s list of most-wanted terrorists with a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture.

Military official claim the raid pre-empted a plot by hundreds of militants waving Islamic State group-style black flags to capture Marawi and kill Christians.

http://www.news.com.au/world/asia/r...s/news-story/a7e5ebe5a8b5c21f1fc0fbd2864af98b

I can bet US is there to help ISIS and not Philippine soldier. The 10 marines are killed by US.

 

[Pinoy]

Islamic State calls for attacks in West, Russia, Middle East, including the Philippines during Ramadan

Published June 13, 2017

CAIRO, Egypt - An audio message purporting to come from the spokesman of Islamic State called on followers to launch attacks in the United States, Europe, Russia, Australia, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and the Philippines during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which began in late May.

The audio clip was distributed on Monday on Islamic State's channel on Telegram, an encrypted messaging application. It was attributed to the militant group's official spokesman, Abi al-Hassan al-Muhajer.

The authenticity of the recording could not be independently verified, but the voice was the same as a previous audio message purported to be from the spokesman.

"O lions of Mosul, Raqqa, and Tal Afar, God bless those pure arms and bright faces, charge against the rejectionists and the apostates and fight them with the strength of one man," said al-Muhajer. Rejectionist is a derogatory term used to refer to Shi'ite Muslims.

"To the brethren of faith and belief in Europe, America, Russia, Australia, and others. Your brothers in your land have done well so take them as role models and do as they have done."

The ISIS-inspired Maute group launched attacks in the southern city of Marawi on May 23, two days before the start of Ramadan in the Philippines.

The attack prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao. The ongoing conflict, which is now on its third week, has left more than 200 people dead and thousands others displaced. —Reuters



-----------------------------------

Duterte: No denying it, PH soldiers are pro-U.S.
June 12,2017

The President, before thanking the United States for aid in Marawi City, says he can't ignore the rapport between Filipino and American soldiers

Before reluctantly thanking the United States for helping the government's fight against the Maute Group in Marawi City, President Rodrigo Duterte admitted one thing to media: Filipino soldiers in general like the US and there's nothing he can do about it.

"Ito talaga ang sentimyento nito, pro-American, pro-American talaga ang mga sundalo natin, that I cannot deny," said Duterte on Sunday, June 11, during a media interview in Cagayan de Oro City.

(This is really their sentiment, our soldiers are really pro-American, that I cannot deny.)

Duterte was there to visit soldiers wounded during clashes in Marawi City. He gave each of them P110,000 in financial assistance as well as pistols and mobile phones.

The rapport between Filipino troops and the US is likely because many soldiers went there to study, said Duterte.

"Almost all officers will go to America to study about militaristic thing. Kaya meron 'yan silang (That's why they have) rapport and I cannot deny that," he said.

Decades of the Philippine military working closely with their American counterparts have led to better coordination and a high level of interoperability between the two forces. (READ: Duterte's pivot to China won't be easy for Americanized AFP)

The Philippines and the US hold at least two military exercises annually as part of the Mutual Defense Treaty.

Because of Duterte's orders not to hold joint patrols or military exercises in the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea), the focus of recent military exercises has been on disaster response and counterterrorism.

That Sunday press conference, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Eduardo Año stood behind Duterte as he was speaking.

Lorenzana is definitely one military man with firm ties to Washington. The former army commander took a crisis management course at the US State Department and served as defense attaché to the US from 2002 to 2004.

Lorenzana was instrumental in cultivating military bilateral relations between the Philippines and the US. He helped develop the terms of reference for the Balikatan exercises between the military forces of the two countries.

The defense chief was supposedly one of the major voices who convinced Duterte to continue with the Balikatan exercises despite the President's previous announcement that the 2016 military exercises would be the last during his term.

The Balikatan pushed through this year but with major changes – it did not include an exercise to counter an invader on Philippine shores.

The change was made to conform to Duterte's objective not to anger China, which continues to claim almost the entire South China Sea despite a 2016 international court ruling that nullified its expansive 9-dash line.

Duterte may be prioritizing warmer ties with China, but it seems he is also aware that existing ties between his own soldiers and the US military is not something to brush aside. – Rappler.com

http://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/in...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

 

[Shotgunner51]

8-hour ceasefire in Marawi ends with gunfire, mortar blasts
By: Allan Nawal, Nikko Dizon, Philip C. Tubeza - @inquirerdotnet
Team Inquirer / 12:05 AM June 26, 2017

First published: 3:37 p.m., June 25, 2017

MARAWI CITY — Fighting between government troops and Islamic State-inspired terrorists resumed in Marawi City on Sunday as soon as an eight-hour ceasefire enforced by the military to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan expired.

Civilian volunteers and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front used the 6 a.m.-to-2 p.m. ceasefire to rescue people trapped in the war zone.

Terrorist snipers fired at positions held by government troops during the ceasefire, but there were no major clashes.

Assistant Secretary for the Peace Process Dickson Hermoso said the rescuers risked their lives to pluck out trapped civilians.

They managed to rescue five people, including a baby girl, he said. A sixth civilian, an elderly man named Hassan Ali who suffered a stroke six weeks ago, died before he could be rescued, Hermoso said.

It was not clear why the man died.

Earlier, Gen. Eduardo Año, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said his troops would observe a “humanitarian pause” during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

“We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect [for] the Islamic faith,” Año said in a statement.

The Eid al-Fitr festival marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan when observant Muslims do not eat or drink between dawn and nightfall.

Many Muslims observed the end of Ramadan on Sunday following the Eid celebrations in Turkey and other Muslim countries.

Other Muslims, however, celebrate Eid al-Fitr on Monday, June 26, a national holiday.

Malacañang said the humanitarian pause was a “sincere gesture” of respect for Filipino Muslims.

“This humanitarian ceasefire on the part of the military and the government underscores our solidarity with our Muslim brethren as they celebrate the end of Ramadan,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.

“It is a sincere gesture [that] shows respect [for] the Muslim faith and acknowledges [the] cultural diversity of our society,” he added.

‘Generally successful’

Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, spokesperson for the AFP, said the “humanitarian pause was generally successful, although there was a little exchange of fire … in the morning and a few minutes past 2 p.m.”

After the ceasefire expired, the hostilities resumed, with automatic rifle and machine-gun fire and mortar blasts rocking the city.

It was the first planned respite in the massive offensive after a month of daily street battles and military airstrikes that had left at least 280 terrorists, 69 soldiers and policemen, and 26 civilians dead.

The intense fighting has turned swaths of the mosque-dotted city, a bastion of the Islamic faith in Mindanao, into a smoldering war zone.

The fighting began on May 23 after a failed military attempt to capture Isnilon Hapilon, an Abu Sayyaf leader who had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Iraq and Syria.

Hundreds of Abu Sayyaf gunmen and their allies from the Maute terror group, flying the black IS flag and backed by foreign fighters, attacked and laid siege to Marawi, sparking a bloody street battle.

Government troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive in a bid to crush the militants but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city.

Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins, while most of its 264,000 residents have fled to evacuation centers in Iligan City or to the homes of relatives and friends in other towns.

In Iligan, just north of Marawi, evacuees from the conflict dressed in colorful flowing robes marked the end of Ramadan by holding prayers on the grounds of the City Hall.

Civilians trapped

Armed commandos from the Philippine National Police Special Action Force stood guard as the prayers were held.

Padilla said around 500 civilians remained trapped in areas where the fighting was concentrated.

Fourteen people, mostly elderly, were rescued on Friday, he said.

After the ceasefire ends, “we will continue to try to enter the areas occupied by them and liberate Marawi,” Padilla said in a radio interview.

Marawi’s Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra said volunteers took advantage of the lull to “rescue” some of the trapped civilians.

“This (Eid) is memorable because we are celebrating it away from our homes,” he said.

“We are hoping that this problem will soon be over… I urge everybody to continue praying so that the turmoil in our city of Marawi will end,” the mayor said in a television interview.

The spokesperson for the Lanao del Sur provincial crisis management committee, Zia Alonto Adiong, said a feast was prepared for about 1,000 evacuees sheltering at the provincial capitol, but noted that this was “the saddest Eid al-Fitr” in the province.

“This local militant group robbed us of the chance to observe Ramadan peacefully and stole from us the opportunity to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and be with our loved ones during this religious occasion,” he said, referring to the Maute group.

President Duterte has declared martial law throughout Mindanao to quell what he calls a rebellion aimed at establishing an IS province in the south.

Foreign fighters, including those from Chechnya, Indonesia and Malaysia, are among those killed in the Marawi conflict, according to the military.

A senior military commander said on Saturday that Hapilon may have slipped out of the city.

Australia has sent two high-tech surveillance planes to help Filipino troops in Marawi, joining the United States, which has also provided military assistance. —With reports from Richel Umel, Jeoffrey Maitem, and the wires. /SFM/atm


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http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/908518/8-hour-ceasefire-in-marawi-ends-with-gunfire-mortar-blasts

 

[jetray]

http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2017/06/27/marawi-hostages-marry-maute-sex-slaves.html

AFP: Female hostages in Marawi forced to marry Maute members, become sex slaves

By CNN Philippines Staff

Updated 21:34 PM PHT Tue, June 27, 2017

(CNN Philippines, June 27) — While the Marawi crisis has resulted in numerous deaths and injuries among civilians, terrorists, and government troops, escaped hostages from the scene reveal women are stripped off of dignity and decency.

In a press briefing on Tuesday, Joint Task Force Marawi Spokesperson Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera said remaining members of the Maute terror group in Marawi City are forcing women to marry them and become sex slaves.

"Female hostages were forced to marry the Maute local terrorist group. so they are being forced as sex slaves, they destroy the dignity of women," Herrera said.

Herrera said this was among the experiences recounted by the seven hostages who recently escaped from their captors after being held for three weeks.

He called the Maute terrorists "evil personalities," as the women's decency and dignity are highly respected in Islam.

Herrera said the seven escaped hostages, who are now being debriefed, revealed how members of the terror group treated them.

"The hostages were initially tasked to loot houses, establishments, for ammunition, firearms, gold, cash, and jewelries," Herrera said.

The looting was also scheduled during mornings, at 7 a.m. to 11 a.m., and after lunch until 3 p.m.

Herrera added, "hostages were issued firearms. pinipilit nila yung hostages to bring firearms...fino-force sila to fight government forces."

[Translation: Hostages were issued firearms and are forced to bring them. They are forced to fight government forces.]

The hostages were also tasked to bring wounded terrorists back to mosques, where some of the Maute members are hiding out.

Herrera added the hostages assured Fr. Teresito "Chito" Suganob is still alive, who was taken hostage by members of the terror group at the start of the attack.

"It's very true na nakita nila si Fr. Chito, sila po ay nagsabi na buhay pa si Fr. Chito," Herrera said.

[Translation: It's very true that they saw Fr. Chito, they said he's still alive.]

The Marawi crisis has seen the death of 70 government troops, 27 civilians, and 290 terrorists. It has also displaced an estimated 200,000 people.

CNN Philippines' Ina Andolong and Ver Marcelo contributed to this report.

 

[خره مينه لګته وي]

Philippines military: Death toll in Marawi tops 500

At least 380 of those killed are ISIL-linked fighters but civilian death toll is expected to increase, military says.

The military has been unable to retake the besieged areas of Marawi as a result of snipers and
booby traps [Reuters]

The death toll in a protracted battle between fighters from to a group linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group and government troops in the southern Philippine city of Marawi has topped 500, the military said.

Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said on Tuesday that 90 of the dead were soldiers and police officers in Marawi City, 800 kilometres south of Manila.

At least 381 of the dead were fighters killed in the fighting, which began on May 23 after government forces attempted to arrest a local leader of the ISIL-allied group, he added.

Speaking from Marawi, Al Jazeera's Yaara Bou Melhem said that while the civilian death toll remains as 39, the military says this figure is expected to increase dramatically.

"There are still parts of the city it has not been able to access where it is feared that civilians were executed," Melhem said.

Government forces haven't been able to retake the besieged areas of the city due to snipers and booby traps in the conflict zone, she added.

READ MORE - Marawi: A scarred city of Philippines

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana denied a local media report that up to 2,000 civilians had been killed in the conflict, and urged the public to avoid sharing such "unverified reports" that could "cause undue alarm, panic and confusion."

"Such information is not only detrimental to our ongoing operations. It also hurts our economy and our international image as a nation," he said in a statement.

Lorenzana also allayed public fears of a prolonged period of martial law, which some legislators have proposed be extended for another five years in the southern region of Mindanao.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared a 60-day martial law in Mindanao to help boost the fight against the militants in Marawi City. The decree is set to expire in 10 days.

Lorenzana said martial law was "an extraordinary power of the president as commander-in-chief that must be resorted to only when warranted by our national security circumstances."

"Our constitution has prescribed limitations precisely to prevent its being abused as it has implications to the country's peace and order, economy, trade, tourism, and our people's way of life," he added.

More than 300,000 civilians have been displaced as a result of the fighting.

Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies

 

[cnleio]

Philippines should ask China to provide more weapons to help their Army against ISIS, BeiJing won't refuse it.