Battle for Bayabao Bridge: 3 more soldiers killed, 52 others wounded

MARAWI CITY – Three more soldiers died while 52 others were wounded when government security forces battled Maute gunmen and their allies over the control of another bridge inside the main battle area here on Thursday, the military said Friday.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, the Western Mindanao Command chief, said Thursday’s battle led to the takeover by the military of the Bayabao Bridge in Barangay Banggolo after Thursday’s intense day-long fighting that also saw the Maute Group’s massive use of improvised explosive devices against advancing troops.

Galvez said most of the injuries incurred by the military were from exploding IEDs.

He said the taking of the Bayabao Bridge also spelled another strategic win for the government after months of battling extremists here.

“The same with Mapandi Bridge, Banggolo is the gateway to the heart of the city. It’s also their supply route that’s why we needed to get it too,” Galvez said.

The Mapandi Bridge that Galvez referred to was officially known as the Baloi Bridge and was also taken over by the military this month as soldiers continued their push into the heart of the city, where Maute gunmen and their allies continued to stand their ground.

Zia Adiong, the spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur crisis management committee, said they wanted that the official names of the two bridges were used in new reporting.

He said the two other bridges in the city – the one in Raya Madaya – is officially known as the Masiu Bridge while the bridge at the Pumping Area is known as Unayan Bridge.

“These four bridges are named after the Four Principalities of Ranao (Pat a Pangampong sa Ranao),” Adiong said.

Joint Task Force Marawi spokesperson Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay told the Inquirer the fighting on Thursday was also intense and that it did not only happen at the Bayabao Bridge.

“It happened in separate locations inside the main battle area,” Petinglay said.

In statement, Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, the Armed Forces spokesperson, said the fighting on the eve of Eid’l Adha – the Day of Sacrifice for Muslims – was among the toughest so far.

“In yesterday’s operations we lost three good men and incurred 52 wounded – mostly from IEDs. Although most were slightly injured, there were a few that were seriously hurt,” Padilla said.

He said the operations continued after a short pause Friday.

“Following a short pause to give due respect to the solemnity and significance of this day, the operations will continue without any let up,” he added.

The fighting here had dragged into the fourth month already with still no end in sight.

Although the gunmen had been confined to a few hundred square meters of area only, as the military has been claiming, they continue to put up fierce resistance. The presence of hostages had also slowed down the government advance into enemy positions.

The exact number of remaining gunmen here was not known but the military said it had estimated that there were no more than 70 extremist fighters left today.

During the early stages of the fight, there were about 700 Maute gunmen, Abu Sayyaf members and members of private armed groups, who battled government forces for the control of the city.

But the military said since May 23, it has killed 620 extremists and recovered 672 firearms as well.