Five Maute members in early Tuesday fighting with military in Marawi

September 12, 2017

Five members of Maute terrorist group were killed in a latest encounter in the Marawi City early Tuesday morning.

Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, Joint Task Force Marawi, Civil Military Operation officer, said the Marines Special Operations Group under Joint Task Group Tiger engaged the Maute fighters  in the main battle area of Marawi City around 1:19 am.

Herrera said the heavy firefight that lasted for about 30 minutes resulted in the death of five Maute  members while no casualty was recorded on the government side.

“The heavy firefight, which ensued about 30 minutes, yielded five confirmed killed on the enemy side with four enemy body counts,” he said.

“Two bodies (of the terrorist) were retrieved while the other two were left on the site because of dangerous circumstances,” he added.

Herrera said government forces have also seized war materials from the enemies.

“The recovered firearms from the enemy include two high-powered firearms and a night vision goggle,” he said.

Brigadier General Rolly Bautista, Joint Task Force Marawi Commander, attributed the latest accomplishment  of the military forces to recent visit of President Rodrigo Duterte in the city.

“The troops’ fighting spirit is further boosted because of the recent strong motivation and encouragement of the Commander-in-Chief,” he said.

“The President’s recent presence in the main battle area has left a mark in our troops in their strong desire to end the crisis in Marawi,” he added.

Major General Danilo Pamonag, commander of Joint Special Operations Task Force Trident, emphasized that the recent accomplishment shows the area being held by the terrorist has continued to decrease.

“The seamless integration of troops’ interoperability with their heightened morale in fighting the enemy has resulted to the quick and deliberate assault of enemy positions,” he said.

“This accomplishment shows that the enemy’s hold in Marawi City is decreasing day-by-day. It is only a matter of time that the crisis will end,” he added.

Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Command, said based on latest data the number of government forces killed has reached 147 while Maute terrorist fatalities are now at 665. Robina Asido/DMS