Military: Only 20 to 40 Maute fighters remain in Marawi

MANILA, Philippines — Only 20 to 40 Islamist fighters remain in Marawi, according to Philippine military estimates, as the government continues to battle to regain control of the Islamic City under siege for almost four months.

The terrorist coalition's dwindling numbers, however, do not mean that their threat has already been dulled and diminished, said Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, a military spokesperson.

“Ngayon sa paniniwala ng ating tropa dyan, sa ground commanders’ estimate, less than 40 na lang sila, between 20 to 40 na lang siguro yan,” he said at a media briefing in the presidential palace.

“Their force is getting smaller, and their capacity to inflict harm is still there because they still have arms, they still have adequate ammunition. They still continue to hold hostages,” he added.

The clashes between the military and Islamist militants began in May following a botched raid in a suspected hideout of Abu Sayyaf subleader Isnilon Hapilon, the appointed emir of the so-called Islamic State in Southeast Asia.

Hours after the raid, the fighting’s intensity escalated, and this prompted President Rodrigo Duterte, who was on a visit to Moscow that time, to place the entire island of Mindanao under military rule.

The military has launched both ground and air offensives in the city’s center where the rebels are believed to be holed in. 

Constant and regular air bombing raids by the Armed Forces have decimated many of the rebels’ strongholds but also the residents’ homes and buildings. Pictures coming out of the fighting’s ground zero have shown destroyed structures riddled with bullet holes.

Military rule to continue

The military would not recommend yet the lifting of army rule in Mindanao despite the dwindling base of operations of the Islamist rebels, according to Padilla.

He said that the rebel group had structures and possible sympathizers in other parts of Mindanao who could launch offensives on civilians and communities. The military spokesperson said that these should be dismantled first before the martial law edict was rescinded.

“It does not mean to say that since we have been able to address the security issue in Marawi there is going to be a preemptive lifting of martial law. No. We still have homework to do. We still have a lot of areas to address, and that is why we still need it,” he said.

He said that the AFP would advise the president to repeal martial law once “the security issues have been addressed.”

“Upang mapawi yung pangamba ng ating mga kababayan, wala naman po kayong dapat ikatakot kung kayo ay law abiding kasi hindi naman sa inyo nakatuon ang pagpapatupad ng martial law. Ito ay nakatuon sa masasamang loob,” he said.

Padilla said that military offensives were concentrated on only two of the city’s 96 villages, an area already less than one square kilometer. The military officer said that despite the shrinking battle area the soldiers needed to be careful as they needed to thoroughly clear each building first before moving to the next structure.

“You have to ensure that it is safe. It’s not that easy to move. Your enemy might just be behind the door, in a corner or in another room. We have to be prepared for all these kinds of surprises,” Padilla said.

As of Sunday night, the fighting, the most serious security problem Duterte has so far faced in his presidency, has already killed 562 rebels, 128 security personnel and 45 civilians.

The military has also rescued 1,728 people, recovered 619 firearms and cleared 38 buildings.