Gov't troops seize Marawi bridge; battle moves to 10 hectare area

After four months of fighting, government troops have reclaimed the Raya Madaya-Masiu Bridge in Marawi City, and trapped the Islamic State-linked Maute group in a 10-hectare section of the city.

According to a Friday report on GMA 7 news program "24 Oras", the 10-hectare area was dense with low-rise buildings.

Deputy Commander of the Joint Task Group Ranao, Col. Romeo Brawner, explained that the nature of the terrain made it difficult to drop bombs and made it easy for terrorists to move across structures.

"Pag dikit-dikit ang buildings, it is more difficult to soften the ground," said Brawner.

A Maute gunman was killed during Friday's fighting, raising the number of terrorists killed to 689.

Total government fatalities stood at 151.

Meanwhile, though the end of the conflict was in sight, Provincial Crisis Management Committee Zia Spokesman Alonto Adiong said that there was nothing to celebrate.

"It's not really appropriate or decent for anybody to celebrate victory just because the fighting is over. The big challenge will come after the fighting," he said.

Some 1,000 Marawi evacuees were expected to occupy temporary shelters by December. Simultaneously, repairs of homes damaged by the fighting would begin. — Jessica Bartolome/DVM, GMA News