MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte flew for the first time Thursday to the besieged Marawi City to cheer troops who have been trying to quell a nearly two-month uprising by Islamic State group-linked militants, who he warned were plotting to attack other cities. Clad in a camouflage uniform with a pistol tucked in a holster, Duterte landed with top generals in a military camp in Marawi City which briefly came under fire from militant snipers shortly before he arrived, military officials said. The militants' leadership, he said, remains largely intact and has funded diversionary attacks on other southern cities. Troops long used to fighting insurgents in the jungles have struggled to rout the gunmen from Marawi's dense urban sprawl. The United States and Australia have deployed surveillance planes to Marawi, and China has provided weapons for Filipino troops, including those fighting in the besieged city.

Source: Philippine Star July 21, 2017 00:11 UTC