Philippines: Thousands remain trapped as gunfire mars ceasefire in Marawi City
(File) Rescuers and residents carry children down from a truck after
they were rescued from their homes, as government troops continue their
assault on insurgents from the so-called Maute group, who have taken
over large parts of the city, in Papandayan village, Marawi city,
Philippines May 31, 2017. Source: Reuters/Romeo Ranoco--A view of the
Maute group stronghold with an ISIS flag in Marawi City in southern
Philippines May 29, 2017. Source: Reuters/Erik De Castro
(File) Soldiers stand guard along the main street of Mapandi village as
government troops continue their assault on insurgents from the Maute
group, who have taken over large parts of Marawi City, Philippines June
2, 2017. Source: Reuters/Romeo Ranoco
4th June 2017
THOUSANDS of civilians hoping to flee fighting in the besieged
Philippines city of Marawi remained trapped on Sunday after a four-hour
ceasefire to evacuate residents was marred by gunfire.
Only 134 were freed on Sunday, less than on previous days, despite
government hopes that more than 1,000 would be able to leave a city
battered by 13 days of intense fighting.
Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte predicted the siege would be over
within days despite fierce resistance by fighters aligned to Islamic
State in the dense urban heart of the southern Philippines city.
“This will be over in about three more days,” Duterte said on Saturday
after visiting a hospital in Cagayan de Oro where wounded soldiers were
being treated.
“I will not hesitate to use every power available.”
About 400 local militants reinforced by about 40 foreign fighters
stormed Marawi on May 23, using sophisticated battlefield tactics to
take control of large swaths of the lakeside city.
They
have been pushed back to the city centre by Philippines forces over the
past week after some 4,000 ground troops were bolstered by helicopters
and aircraft deploying rockets and bombs.
Many residents have told Reuters that
the airstrikes caused extensive property damage and dozens of civilian
deaths. Authorities lifted the civilian death toll from 20 to 38 on
Sunday – but said all those deaths were caused by militants.
A presidential spokesman said 120 militants had died, along with 38 government forces.
Duterte said the use of air power had been restrained so far.
“I can end this war in 24 hours,” he said. “All I have to do is to bomb the whole place and level it to the ground.”
Duterte has asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an Islamic
separatist movement based on the Philippines island of Mindanao, to help
negotiate a peace settlement with the Islamist fighters, who are
predominantly drawn from the Maute Group based in and around Marawi.
Marawi, dubbed the “Islamic City of Marawi”, is also located on
Mindanao, which has a large Muslim population in a predominantly
Catholic country and been destabilised by separatist insurgencies for
decades.
MILF cadres organised Sunday’s ceasefire, which was to run from 8am
until noon. They roamed the streets with loud hailers urging residents
to leave.
But by 9am, gunfire had broken out, apparently deterring residents from joining a mass exodus.
Marawi City’s mayor Majul Gandamra, told reporters on Sunday morning he
was expecting “more or less 1,000 plus to be rescued today”. In the end,
134 were evacuated, less than previous days when there were no
ceasefires. About 2,000 civilians remain in the city.
Irene Santiago, appointed by Duterte to organise the “peace corridor”,
said the effort had been a success, noting the fighting was several
kilometres away from where the evacuation took place.
She said negotiations were continuing with the Maute for another temporary ceasefire on Monday. – Reuters