MARAWI CITY—After several attempts starting in June, President Duterte finally set foot in war-torn Marawi on Thursday and got to thank his troops for their heroism in fighting Islamic State-inspired terrorists holed up in the city. Lt. Col. Jo-Ar Herrera, spokesperson for the Joint Task Force Marawi, told reporters later that Mr. Duterte hailed the troops for their heroism “in spite of the challenges” they faced in fighting the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terrorists. Mr. Duterte had been repeatedly trying to visit the troops since June to give them a morale boost. Despite the large number of troops and checkpoints around the city, “there have been reported entries of reinforcements, weapons, ammunition and other logistical supplies from outside Marawi City through clandestine routes,” Mr. Duterte told the lawmakers. 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 Daily Inquirer July 20, 2017 22:52 UTC