Filipino rebels attacked

MANILA: Philippine security forces had yet to clear up to 550 buildings in Marawi to completely reclaim the southern city from extremists allied with Islamic State, a spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said yesterday.

Lieutenant-Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera said the troops were making advances in pushing out up to 70 militants still holed up in the remaining buildings and mosques in the city’s four villages.

He said the troops also recovered “many” firearms during the latest raids. Since the military offensive, Herrera said the troops had recovered “more or less 500 firearms from the rebels”. Xinhua –