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Update News Report

Maute group still putting up strong resistance in Marawi —AFP

Published September 17, 2017 7:09pm

The military said the Maute group is still putting up a strong resistance as troops attempt to push them to a "confined space" in Marawi City over the weekend.

Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of the Joint Task Force Marawi, said in a press conference on Sunday that the military was still not sure when troops will be able to clear the war-torn city of the Maute group members.

"May resistance pa rin. In fact, malakas pa rin ang resistance nila. In fact in the process of their retreat, nag-iwan pa rin sila ng madaming improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ," Brawner said.

He said troops are "slowly gaining ground" in the remaining area where the Maute group members are holed up.

He also said that even after the retaking of the Bato mosque, the Maute group engaged troops in a fierce gunfight on Sunday.

"Matindi pa rin po ang fighting around Bato Mosque today and so slowly our government forces are gaining more ground and we are now pushing the Maute terrorist group into a smaller, confined space," he said.

He said the Maute group members are still spread out in a 15 to 20-hectare are in the besieged city.

Troops were also able to retake another Maute group stronghold, the Amaitul Islamiya Marawi Foundation building, on Saturday.

Brawner said a soldier was killed and seven others were wounded during the troops retaking of the Bato mosque.

A Maute member's body was recovered from the mosque, he added.

Troops also recovered improvised explosive devices and gadgets in and around the mosque.

"While the government forces search the Bato Mosque for any personnel or items, we were able to find IEDs also around the Bato Mosque and there were several items such as cellphone and other gadgets," Brawner said.

He said the cellphones could have been the triggering devices for IEDs.

Hostages

Brawner said that the Maute group could still be holding around 40 to 60 civilians hostage.

"Mga 40 to 60... This includes mga babae, mga bata... mga kalalakihan. But as I have mentioned 'yung ibang kalalakihan naging fighters na rin," Brawner said.

He said the male hostages are being forced by the Maute group to fight for them.

Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza on Sunday morning announced that Father Chito Suganob and another hostage were recovered alive by troops during the operation at the Bato mosque.

Iligan City Bishop Elenito Galido said they were informed that Suganob was rescued along with a teacher of Dansalan College, one of the establishments attacked by the Maute group last May 23.

Brawner still declined to confirm Dureza's announcement. He added during the the briefing that troops did not see any hostages within the area of the Bato mosque.

"When we recover the mosque, wala po tayong nakitang hostages sa loob ng mosque," Brawner said.

The Maute group laid siege to the city on May 23, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in Mindanao.

The military said nearly 700 Maute group members have been killed in the ongoing Marawi conflict.

A total of 47 civilians and nearly 150 soldiers have also been killed.

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