US providing “technical support” to gov’t troops in Marawi
The military is confirming reports two Maute brothers have been killed in separate operations, as United States and Philippine authorities disclosed US special forces were also providing some support to government troops in Marawi.
Marawi-based military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera said there are “strong indications” that Omarkhayam and Madie Maute had been killed in separate operations.
But he added the military was still “validating” the report and there is no way of independently confirming it.
“There were intense firefights, house-to-house gunbattles,” Herrera said at a news conference in Marawi earlier in describing Friday’s gunbattles, adding that the total number of government troops killed in the conflict was 58.
At least 20 civilians have been confirmed killed due to the fighting, according to the government.
“The local terrorist groups are using the mosque, they are entrenched there. They also used civilians as human shields… we are very precise in our operations to avoid collateral damage,” Herrera said.
Some 40 marines were wounded in the gunbattles that lasted 14 hours, according to military spokesperson Colonel Edgardo Arevalo.
Technical support
On Saturday, the United States embassy said its special forces were providing support to the government troops.
“At the request of the government of the Philippines, US special operations forces are assisting the (Philippine military) with ongoing operations in Marawi,” the embassy said in a statement.
Although Herrera confirmed the US help, he said that the special forces were not fighting, but “providing technical support.”
The US Embassy said Washington would “continue to work with the Philippines to address shared threats to the peace and security of our countries, including on counterterrorism issues.”
This after it gave government security forces weapons which a local commander said would be used in the fight against Islamist militants.
Philippine troops are fighting the Maute group, who rampaged through Marawi on May 23, have used civilians as human shields, bomb-proof tunnels and anti-tank weapons to fortify their positions.
Philippine military leaders have said their troops unexpectedly interrupted plans by the fighters to take over Marawi and who were intent on carving out territory.
President Rodrigo Duterte has said the militant attack was part of a wider plot by the Islamic State to establish a base in the southern region of Mindanao, and declared martial law there to quell the threat. (Agence France Presse)