Troops stack sandbags to build ‘Great Wall of Marawi’

With structures crumbling to dust around them, government troops in Marawi City are now stacking sandbags to create a "wall" to shield themselves from enemy fire.

According to Emil Sumangil's report on 24 Oras on Sunday, the soldiers have taken to calling this makeshift bulwark "the Great Wall of Marawi."

The report also said that the military has pushed the Maute fighters closer to Lanao Lake, and that the troops are gradually moving forward. Only two hectares of the main battle area are still occupied by the members of the local terror group.

Meanwhile, the military disclosed that women and children are now being forced by the Maute to shoot at the soldiers.

"According to the hostage that we rescued yesterday, it is unfortunate that even the women and the children are now forced to fight together with the Maute-ISIS fighters. These are desperate measures," said Colonel Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Joint Task Group Ranao.

Brawner also said the military is doing its best to meet its self-imposed target of ending the atrocities in Marawi City on October 15.

"Despite the fact that we have set today, this day, a target date for finishing the armed conflict, our troops are still pushing hard, fighting hard to meet this target," Brawner said.

President Rodrigo Duterte placed the entire Mindanao under martial law after the Maute group attacked Marawi City on May 23.

Latest military data showed that 162 government troops have been killed in the conflict while more than 1,700 troops have been wounded. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News