US gov’t steps in as special forces aid PHL troops in Marawi conflict

The US government has confirmed its troops have started helping the Philippine military in battling the Maute group and other local terrorists in Marawi City.

In a statement released on Saturday, the US Embassy in Manila said, "At the request of the Government of the Philippines, U.S. special operations forces are assisting the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) with ongoing operations in Marawi through support that helps AFP commanders on the ground in their fight against Maute and ASG (Abu Sayyaf group) militants."

The US Embassy said generally speaking, the U.S. special operations forces have been providing support and assistance "in response to Philippine government requests for many years."

"As we have in the past, we routinely consult with our Filipino partners at senior levels to support the Duterte administration’s counterterrorism efforts," the US Embassy added.

An ally of the Philippines, the US government also said that it would continue to work with the country in addressing threats to peace and order of both countries.

The embassy's confirmation came a day after GMA News' Cedric Castillo reported seeing a "white plane" hovering over Marawi, which he said looked like a P-3 Orion, a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft used by the US Navy.

Castillo, however, could not immediately confirm from authorities at the time if the plane he had seen was indeed a P-3 Orion.

Technical support

At a press briefing on Saturday, Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera, 1st Infantry Battalion spokesperson, clarified that the assistance of the US counterpart was limited to "technical support."

"No, they are not fighting. They are just providing technical support," Herrera said.

"The presence of US counterpart facilitates the exchanges of intelligence, facilitates subject matter expert exchange and also provides training exchanges and of course the technical support that we are sharing together in the fight [against] global terrorism," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under martial law after Maute group members attacked Marawi City last May 23.

More than 200 people, including militants and civilians, have been killed in the ongoing clashes between the government troops and local terrorists. — MDM, GMA News