Clearing ops for unexploded ordnances continue in Marawi

A section of Marawi City’s business center is destroyed after a five-month war between government troops and Islamic State-inspired terror groups. INQUIRER / JEOFFREY MAITEM

The military on Saturday said clearing operations will continue to remove other hazards that will endanger the lives of local residents who are returning to their houses.

Col. Romeo Brawner, spokesperson of the Joint Task Force Marawi, said in a statement that the military so far cleared 30 percent of ground zero of unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices.

Brawner said among those cleared were about 20 kilometers of primary and secondary roads, three major bridges, a school, and three places of worship.

The task force official said the information was shared by Maj. Gen. Arnold Rafael Depakakibo, the military’s chief engineer.

Brawner said as of December 15, the Joint Engineer Task Group (JETG) had recovered a total of 2,853 assorted unexploded ordnance and 415 improvised explosive devices.

“This was done through the support of Explosives and Ordnance Disposal Company and K-9 Teams from the Philippine Army and Philippines Air Force,” he said. /jpv