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Gov’t troopers continue mop-up, clearing ops in Marawi


A day after President Rodrigo Duterte declared that Marawi City has been freed from the Maute group, government troops continued with their mopping up and clearing operations.

More or less 20 terrorists including some foreigners are still hiding in some buildings, according to a report by Raffy Tima on Unang Balita on Wednesday.

The surviving Maute group terrorists are believed to still be holding 30 hostages and non-combatants.

With only a few buildings left for the troops to clear, authorities said the operations will be finished soon.

On Tuesday, the smell of tear gas has reached the main battle area—where Duterte went to for the declaration and where the members of the media were positioned—proof of the tension still ongoing to flush out remaining terrorists from their hideouts.

Task Force Ranao Deputy Commander Colonel Romeo Brawner said the current situation is similar to that at the end of World War II, wherein there were still stragglers or a few fighters who refused to surrender or lay down their arms.

Duterte talked to some rescued hostages on Tuesday. Some of them were emotional and told the President what happened to them.

According to some sources in the military, some hostages said the terrorists used them as human shields. The terrorists also shot at hostages who attempted to seek help from the advancing military. —KG, GMA News

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