![]() The siege, he said, had been doubly painful because it also came during the month of Ramadan, when Muslims around the world were meant to be peacefully fasting and “united as one.” ![]() The sounds of scattered explosions and bomber-planes swooping down on enemy positions to drop ordnance interrupted his speech. was emotional as he tried, but seemingly failed, to shore up support and confidence. Troops and a handful of officials that remained in the city were present. Provincial officials held a tearful flag ceremony to mark the country’s 119th Independence Day. Marawi has never been isolated as much before,” Adiong said.īursts of gunfire and the dull thud of bombs dropped from planes could be heard Monday, while government officials said that militants with the Abu Sayyaf Group and Maute gang had been cornered in the “heart of the city.” The enemy was carrying out guerrilla attacks, including sniper fire, according to officials.Īdiong said the local government was hopeful that the military would “eventually liberate Marawi city,” even though, he noted, he could not say when hostilities would finally stop. ![]() “This is a test of our strength as a people. Only a handful are believed to still be staying within the city’s battle-ravaged confines, either trapped by crossfire or held as hostages, officials said. Provincial spokesman Zia Alonto Adiong said damage from the fighting had basically put Marawi, a predominantly Muslim trading hub on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, at a standstill with its 200,000 residents forced to evacuate. The Philippines on Monday raised its flag in Marawi, a defiant act that symbolically rejected the presence of Islamic State-linked fighters who have clung to pockets of the besieged southern city after nearly three weeks of battles with government forces.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |