Fighting in Marawi City is over
By Claire Jiao and Lara Tan, CNN Philippines
Clark, Pampanga (CNN Philippines, October 23) — The Philippine government on Monday declared the end of five months of fighting in Marawi City and victory against Southeast Asia's "most serious threat of violent extremism."
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced the end to all combat operations against ISIS-inspired Maute terrorists after the military killed the last remaining local and foreign terrorists in the city.
"After 154 days of the siege of Marawi by the Daesh-inspired Maute-ISIS group, or after a week since the Commander-In-Chief declared the liberation of Marawi, we now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," he said at the ASEAN Defense Ministers meeting in this freeport zone north of Manila. "Daesh" is the Arabic acronym used to refer to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, but its use is considered an insult by the terrorists.
Lorenzana said the killing of 920 of the Maute group including foreign fighters and its top leaders has prevented the spread of extremism in Asia.
"In crushing thus far the most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in the region, we have contributed to preventing its spread in Asia," he said.
Defense chiefs of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are on the first of two-day meetings here in the runup to the leaders' summit in November.
Malacanang welcomed the news and reiterated government's victory.
"We have successfully concluded what has been, so far, the most serious threat of violent extremism and radicalism in the Philippines and in Southeast Asia," said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement Monday.
In Marawi City, more than 1,500 kilometers away from here, Joint Task Force Ranao Deputy Commander Colonel Romeo Brawner said Lorenzana's declaration means the military has ended their assaults against Maute members.
"When we say 'termination of combat operations,' this means that we are terminating the assault, the offensive attack on the positions of the Maute-ISIS," he said.
Brawner said government troops will defend themselves in case they come across stragglers.
Lorenzana said a total of 42 cadavers — composed of Maute terrorists, two wives of fighters, and five possible foreign combatants — were found in a building believed to be the last stronghold of the Maute. Amin Baco, the reported leader of the stragglers in Marawi, could also be part of the casualties, he added.
"No more. There are no more militants around Marawi City," he said.
Brawner cited hostages saying that even the kin of the Maute had taken up arms. "'Yung ibang asawa ng mga Maute ay nakipaglaban na rin because they feel desperate. We believe na kasama sila (foreign terrorists) sa cadavers na ire-recover natin."
Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, Maute leader Omar Maute, and Dr. Mahmud Ahmad, the Malaysian militant who funded the war were killed during the 154 days of fighting.
All 1,780 hostages of the terrorists have been rescued by the military.
The deaths of the top two leaders on October 16 marked a significant turning point in the crisis, and prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare the liberation of Marawi City from terrorists on October 17.
It is used but that doesn't mean CC weapons are used to kill those terrorists leaders.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has not yet issued an official statement on that matter. What I have shown so far is China's rifles were actually used in Marawi by PH elite forces contrary to what is being trumpeted in most pro-US defense forums, that the Chinese weapons are still under evaluation by the AFP.