MARAWI CITY — Bombs and artillery shells rained on Marawi City anew on Saturday as ground troops were deployed for a fresh offensive to seize as many strategic positions as they could from the Islamic State (IS)-linked fighters who have been holding out in the Islamic city for nearly a month.
Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, spokesperson for the Army’s 1st Infantry Division, said the military was taking advantage of the dwindling resistance from the Abu Sayyaf and Maute group in fighting that has killed at least 310—225 gunmen, 59 soldiers and 26 civilians.
“Our forces are moving toward the heart of the enemy,” Herrera said. “It’s the center of gravity. This is where the location of their command and control, the leadership of the enemy.”
Thick, black smoke rises following airstrikes by military planes in Marawi City on Saturday. —JEOFFREY MAITEM
Resistance
“There is still resistance but they are running out of bullets that’s why we are taking advantage of that situation,” he added.
Ground commanders estimate “more than 100” militants were still holding out in at least four villages in Marawi, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in Manila.
But Padilla said the figures were based on estimates a few days ago “so this number could have dropped significantly.”
Asked about the apparent change in the targets of the bomb runs—from Bangolo to areas near Lake Lanao—Herrera said it could mean that enemy positions had been sighted there.
Fires erupted and dark plumes of smoke rose from enclaves still occupied by the Abu Sayyaf and Maute fighters as the Air Force staged bombing runs to support ground troops struggling to dislodge the gunmen from entrenched positions.
MG-520 attack helicopters and FA-50 fighter jets were used in the raids, while sustained bursts of automatic gunfire could be heard in the distance, indicating intense firefights.
Herrera said the military continued to gain more ground but stopped short of saying the gunmen were now on the run.
“We are still facing the same problem that we had since Day One and that is their use of mosques as staging areas or snipers’ nest. And they are still holding hostages,” he said.
Troops careful
Zia Alonto Adiong, spokesperson of Crisis Management Committee in Marawi, could not say when the crisis would end. He said it would depend on the military.
Herrera said troops were making careful and calculated maneuvers to avoid jeopardizing the lives of hostages.
While fighting continued, the military also helped in rescuing civilians trapped in the battle zones.
Three civilians were rescued on Friday by a joint government-Moro Islamic Liberation Front team through the “peace corridor” project of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process (Opapp).
Opapp said it has helped rescue 240 civilians who were trapped in the battle zone.
The hunt for the IS-linked gunmen and their supporters has expanded to nearby areas.
The Iligan City police on Friday went house-to-house in Barangay Ubaldo Laya where a large number of residents were native Maranaos in search of IS-linked gunmen or their supporters.
Iligan police chief Senior Supt. Leony Roy Ga said the search was requested by village officials, who inspected the houses in the barangay with support from the police.
More than 309,000 people have been been displaced from Marawi and nearby areas since fighting erupted on May 23, according to officials.
Many have fled to the homes of friends and relatives, and others were in evacuation centers where they receive aid.
Strict protocols
The military did not impose a food blockade on Marawi but merely followed strict protocols in the delivery of relief supplies, Herrera said after Bayan Muna complained its aid convoy was stopped by troops from entering Marawi.
Herrera said food and other assistance should be brought to the central operations center in Iligan where a large number of displaced Marawi residents had taken shelter.
“This is not the decision of the Armed Forces alone but [in] collaboration with local government units to facilitate the seamless distribution of relief assistance,” he said.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Thursday said soldiers barred Kalinaw Mindanao National Interfaith Humanitarian Mission from Marawi despite “adequate papers from the Office of the Civil Defense” while several relief trucks from other agencies and organizations were allowed to pass through.
“Clearly, this goes beyond refusal of humanitarian relief for the victims. What is the AFP hiding from us in Marawi City?” he asked. —WITH REPORTS FROM JEOFFREY MAITEM, RICHEL UMEL AND AFP