Philippines' fight against Daesh enters 5th day

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines

Security forces on Saturday continued fighting Daesh-linked militants in Marawi, a pre-dominantly Muslim city in the country’s south.

The WestMinCom, a branch of Philippines Army which deals with guerrilla warfare, said in a statement that their units were left with no option but to launch airstrikes on specific areas occupied by the Daesh-linked Maute group.

WestMinCom Chief Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. said that the terrorists holed up in the area were preventing their fellow Muslims from peacefully observing the month of Ramadan.

“They are blocking efforts by the troops to restore peace in the city,” he said.

More than 100 armed members of the Maute group, the Bangsamoro Islamic Liberation Front and Abu Sayyaf group attacked the city on Tuesday. A cathedral, a jail and a school were reportedly burned down, and over a dozen people, including a priest and parishioners, were held hostage.

Later on Tuesday, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte declared the entire island of Mindanao under martial rule for 60 days and cut short his five-day visit to Moscow. The president had also warned the martial law would not be any different from the brutal days of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, stressing he will be “harsh” in dealing with the armed groups.

Over 40 terrorists have already been killed in the ongoing fighting. Six soldiers were killed in clashes on Thursday, bringing the death toll of soldiers to 11. Two policemen were also killed, the military said.

Fourteen civilians have been killed during the clashes, nine of them shot dead by Maute fighters.

In a statement, the White House condemned the violence "perpetrated by an ISIS-linked terrorist group", referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, another name for Daesh.