AFP still pursuing remaining terrorists in Marawi

November 3, 2017

More than a week after the Philippines declared the termination of combat operation in Marawi , the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is pursuing remaining terrorists within the main battle area in city.

“Yes we never stop pursuing them. Troops continue to search in the main battle area for this stragglers who are waiting for a chance to escape,” Col. Romeo Brawner, Joint Task Force Ranao Deputy Commander said.

Brawner said the military is also looking into possible presence of foreign fighters who remain in the battle area of Marawi.

“We are trying to determine if Amin Baku, is already dead or still alive. He is a Malaysian national who is part of the siege. We are still trying to look for his body,” he said.

“He is one of the foreign fighters. We are also looking at the possibility that there are still foreign fighters who are also stragglers in the area,” Brawner added.

Despite the revelation of Muhammad Ilham Syahputra, an alleged Indonesian terrorist arrested by the Barangay Peace Action Team (BPAT) last Wednesday, Brawner could not say how many stragglers remain in the battle zone of Marawi.

“So far,  we do not have numbers. We do not follow that (statement of Syahputra) because he has changed his statements. First, he said 20 (remaining number of stragglers in the city) then it became 39,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS