PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT VISITS MARAWI AS FIGHTING WITH ISIS CONTINES IN CITY

This handout photo taken on July 20, 2017, and released by the Presidential Photo Division (PPD) shows Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte following his arrival at Cagayan de Oro airport on the southern island of Mindanao. (Photo by AFP)

On July 20 , Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte visited Marawi City where fierce clashes were taking place between the Philippine Army and ISIS fighters.

Duterte announced that Marawi crisis is coming to an end soon:

“The fight in Marawi would soon be over. [The] one thing that’s stopping us now is ‘yung sa mosque, it’s a big one, it has underground tunnels but not so much about that.”

The president expressed his concern over more than 300 people still being held hostage by ISIS fighters in Marawi city and said he needed a martial law to secure the city during this crisis.

However Duterte assured that he could work without military law.

“If I have to arrest you without a warrant, I will arrest you without a warrant — with or without martial law — if I think that it is part of the war,” he said.

From its side, ISIS said that 3 Philippines soldiers were killed during clashes in the Balinj district of Marawi City and claimed that its snipers killed a fourth soldier in Marinot district in the city.

So far, 427 ISIS fighters have been killed in Marawi City and the Philippine Army has managed to capture 9 others. However, the battle doesn’t seem to be coming to an end soon, although it has been going on for nearly two months.

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