President goes to besieged Marawi
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte fired a rifle toward Islamic State-linked militants during a visit Thursday to the battle zone in southern Marawi, after troops recaptured a main mosque where the gunmen had taken cover with their hostages in the three-month siege of the city, officials said.
Clad in a combat uniform, protective vest and helmet, Duterte congratulated the troops for regaining control of the Islamic Centre, an indication they are entering the final stage in ending the disastrous uprising. It was Duterte’s third known trip to the embattled city.
During his brief visit, Duterte inspected a devastated community near the frontline and talked to troops guarding a recaptured building. He also visited a military patrol base and “tried a sniper rifle and fired twice toward the direction of the terrorists,” a government statement said.
Army Col. Romeo Brawner said Duterte went to the main battle area, a cluster of dense, mosquedotted communities which has been heavily damaged in the fighting, with military chief Gen. Eduardo Ano and top commanders.
More than 760 people, including 595 militants, have died in the Marawi fighting, which has sparked concerns that Islamic State may have taken a foothold in Southeast Asia through local extremists as it suffers setbacks in Syria and Iraq.
About 600 gunmen launched the insurrection in Marawi’s commercial centre on May 23 after a botched army raid to capture the group’s leader, Isnilon Hapilon, according to the military.
It was not immediately clear if any militants or their hostages were in the mosque when troops entered the building Thursday after weeks of painstakingly slow advances because of sniper fire and an order from Duterte to avoid any massive attack that might harm an estimated several dozen hostages, including a Roman Catholic priest, used by the gunmen as human shields.
Brawner said the militants withdrew shortly before troops gained access to the mosque in fighting that wounded three soldiers.
“We recovered the mosque after some resistance but not through an assault with bombardment because we wanted to preserve the structure,” Brawner said.