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Military ops vs. Maute in Marawi continue on 24th day


Government troopers remained focused on flushing out the Maute group in Marawi City as fighting entered the 24th day on Thursday.

According to a report on Unang Balita by Jun Veneracion, the military is facing challenges in its operations against the ISIS-linked group which has attacked Marawi City on May 23.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is already employing all its military equipment but the terrorists still remain in some parts of the city.

More than 200 members of the Maute group have died, and almost 60 have been killed among government troopers.

AFP officials asked for understanding, saying they are observing extreme caution to preserve their troops.

They added that their snipers have noticed that the Maute group's snipers are highly skilled.

Some of the terrorists look like foreigners. Among Maute group snipers that have been killed are foreign-looking men.

According to troops who have returned from the battle zone, they face danger whenever they conduct clearing operations in houses.

There would be times one troop would enter a house, then the Maute group members would go to the back of it, pour gasoline, and light a fire.

As government troopers go out of the house, snipers from the terror group would hit them. 

The military earlier set a deadline to flush out the Maute group from the city. 

However, on Wednesday, the AFP said it will no longer set deadlines.

“For now, we will not set deadlines. We will ensure that we will be able to clear it of any armed element that still exists, and it may take some time,” military spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. said during the Mindanao Hour briefing at Malacañang. —KG, GMA News

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