AFP says key roads in Marawi cleared

The Armed Forces said it had cleared all roads in the main battle area of Marawi City.

AFP public affairs chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said on Friday that primary roads in the city’s main battle area had been cleared of debris and unexploded ordnance or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that had made the thoroughfares usable.

The clearing operations were part of recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in Marawi City.

Arevalo said engineers from the Army, Air Force and Navy had been “working day in and day out” to clear the roads and bridges of unexploded bombs and IEDs.

He said more than 500 military engineers were deployed to Marawi City as part of the joint engineer task group (JETG), led by Brig. Gen. Arnold Fernandez. The group supports reconstruction and rehabilitation operations of Task Force Bangon Marawi.

Arevalo said the AFP also deployed military construction vehicles and equipment to clear rubble and debris that blocked roads in the city that was nearly flattened by war between homegrown terror groups that tried to establish an Islamic State province and government soldiers.

Military engineers, Arevalo said, were also helping in the demolition of buildings that had suffered extensive damage during the war.

He said, however, that the military has yet to “identify possible dump locations for the unexploded ordnance and IEDs.”

The AFP public affairs chief said the JETG was also tasked with helping restore utilities, like water and electricity supply, in government centers and places of worship.

AFP chief of staff Lt. Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero lauded the combat engineers for their work and said that they were needed to “successfully get Marawi back on its feet.”

“Rest assured that our troops will remain steadfast in its support operations for the recovery, reconstruction and rehabilitation of Marawi City,” Guerrero said.