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Residents, MILF join forces in a Marawi barangay to stop Maute


It's not only government troops who are fighting the Maute group in Marawi City. In one barangay, residents and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front joined forces to stop the terrorist group from entering their barangay.

According to a report by Jun Veneracion on Unang Balita on Wednesday, members of the ISIS-inspired Maute group arrived at one barangay in Marawi City on Thursday with the goal of bombing the bridge to prevent government troops from advancing.

This angered residents and MILF members.

They engaged the Maute group in a gunfight until the terrorists had no choice but retreat.

Veneracion also reported that many residents have expressed anger at the situation, saying they want the battle against the Maute group to end.

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday asked the MILF, the Moro National Liberation Front, and the New People's Army to fight alongside government soldiers to defeat the Maute group.

Top officials of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the MILF on Monday said they opposed Islamic State-linked militants in the Philippines, but gave no indication they would take up Duterte's offer to fight alongside government troops.

Clashes between government troops and the Maute group began on May 23 after the latter staged attacks in the city in response to the military's operation to go after Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon who was reported to be in Marawi.

READ: A timeline of the Maute group's attack on Marawi City

Duterte placed Mindanao under martial law on the same day.

More than 100,000 people have been displaced as of Tuesday, while the death toll has reached 104.

Military operations are currently focused on clearing the 20 percent of Marawi City still under the control of the Maute group. —KG, GMA News

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