Gov't troops retake strategic Banggolo Bridge in Marawi

Government troops have retaken the strategic Banggolo Bridge from Maute terrorists in Marawi City, signaling that the months-long conflict there is drawing to a close, a military official said Friday.

"This morning we had a major decisive engagement and we were able to retake Banggolo Bridge," said Lieutenant General Carlito Galvez, commander of the military's Western Mindanao Command.

He predicted that fighting in Marawi City, which started on May 23, will "not anymore take months, it will take only a few weeks."

"It means the clearing is already nearing an end. Nakita natin yung ating 500 X 509 square meters [na kailangang i-clear], it might be reduced into a few hundred meters after the retaking of Banggolo Bridge," Galvez said.

He said Banggolo Bridge was the encounter site during the first two weeks of the firefight where they suffered a lot of casualties.

Galvez said about 45 Maute members are still in the area but they do not want to underestimate their capability.

"Still ang kanilang strength ay nasa average 45. Dahil sa Eid'l Adha in high spirits sila. Ayaw lang namin i-underestimate ang kalaban but they are still capable of inflicting casualties," he said.

"We know that during the final push, it will become very delicate sa ating operations," he added.

Galvez said Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon and the Maute brothers are still in Marawi and using improvised explosive devices to reserve their ammunition. —Amita Legaspi and Sandra Aguinaldo/KBK/KVD, GMA News