“As fighting continues in Marawi, our units are constrained to launch air strikes to identified specific targets occupied by the [Maute] terrorist group. Troops were trying desperately to drive the militants out in the open as security forces cordoned off Marawi to prevent the jihadists from escaping. The fighting began on May 23 when militants occupied Marawi, the capital of Lanao del Sur in the Muslim autonomous region. Provide your security forces with information that will contribute to the neutralization of these agents of deaths and destruction. The siege of Marawi by IS fighters forced President Rodrigo Duterte to cut short his four-day visit to Russia last week.

Source: Manila Times May 27, 2017 16:14 UTC