AFP: 90% of Marawi City cleared of Maute group members

Government troops have cleared 90 percent of Marawi City, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Wednesday.

"Ang huling ulat na nakuha natin batay sa ating mga tauhan diyan, 90 percent na ng siyudad ay na-clear na nila nang maayos pero may natitira pang 10 porsyento ng city na hindi pa ganap," AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita.

"'Yan nga po yung pinagpupugaran ngayon at pinagtataguan ng mga natitirang elemento ng milatanteng grupong Maute DAESH. At 'yun po ang focus ng operation," he added.

Padilla said they are focusing on four goals in the operations against the Maute group, which include gaining control of the entire city, assist trapped residents, recover bodies of civilians and government troops and help in relief operations.

"Number one, siguraduhin po na malibre at maclear natin ang bawat sulok ng syudad sa mga armadong elemento. Pangalawa, makasigurado tayo na lahat ng naipit na residente, yung mga na-trap sa loob na ayaw pang lumabas at natakot silang maipit at madamay sa magiging bakbakan," he said.

"Pangatlo, ma-recover kung saka sakaling may mga biktima pa diyan, mga injured, may mga patay o labi ng patay na naiwan makuha po natin ito sa gayon makapagsagawa tayo ng maayos na accounting. At yung pangapat po, habang nalilibre yung mga pwersa natin at kagamitan, ito po ay ichachannel natin sa pagtulong sa local government, NGOs (non-government organizations).. sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga IDPs (internally displaced persons) natin at evacuees," he further said.

Padilla, meanwhile said that they have rescued over a thousand civilians trapped in barangays with the presence of Maute group members as of Tuesday night.

The military spokesperson on Monday said that government forces were already in full control of the city.

In a report on Tuesday, the AFP reported that 65 Maute members and 20 members of the government's forces have been killed in the week-long operations in Marawi City.

It also reported that 19 civilians were killed by the local terrorists.

About 176,920 people have been displaced as of 11 p.m. Monday, according to data from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao's Crisis Management Council.

The Maute group launched attacks in the city on May 23, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire Mindanao under martial law for 60 days. —Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/ALG, GMA News