Sunday, October 1, 2017

Military asks for more time to liberate Marawi

MARAWI - The military again asked for more time to end the siege of Marawi as it was unable to meet the October 1 deadline earlier set by Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) said troops needed more time as rescuing up to 46 hostages remains a challenge.

Galvez said state forces are now engaging the Maute fighters in close quarter combat as government gains in the past days had reduced the main battle area to the size of 2 football fields.

He explained that troops are having a difficult time with the uneven terrain and the buildings where the remaining Maute terrorists could be hiding.

This morning, soldiers attended the Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral, which suffered extensive damage from the ISIS-linked terrorists.

During the mass, gunshots could be heard in the background, indicating that fighting remained fierce in Marawi's main battle area.

Meanwhile, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian also visited Marawi Sunday morning to show his support for the government troops.

Gatchalian, chair of the Senate committee on economics, said they are currently studying the daunting task of rebuilding the war-torn city when the siege ends.
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