JAKARTA — The siege of Marawi city in southern Philippines has helped militants in Southeast Asia to regroup and strengthened their desire to join the fight, according to an analyst report released Friday. The siege by an alliance of militants supporting the Islamic State (IS) group, which has lasted for two months, "has lifted the prestige of the Philippine fighters" in the eyes of IS, said the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict. The crisis in Marawi City began on May 23 when an estimated 600 militants went on a rampage after government forces attempted to arrest a local leader of the Islamic State terrorist organization. Nearly 100 government forces have been killed in the conflict, which has also left 421 militants dead. Forty-five civilians have been executed by the militants while 40 displaced residents have died from illness.

Source: The China Post July 22, 2017 00:00 UTC