MANILA,
May 24 —- Ongoing clearing operations has so far resulted in the death of 13
Maute Group members, allied with Abu Sayyaf leader Isnilon Hapilon, who clashed
with military units in Marawi City, Lanao Del Sur on Tuesday.
This
was confirmed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office
chief Col. Edgard Arevalo in briefing Wednesday night.
Of
the 13 Maute members killed by government troops, two bodies were recovered and
being identified.
On
the part of the military, Arevalo said five died in action and 31 were wounded
as of this posting.
He
said the AFP has already cleared the Amai Pakpak Hospital, Marawi City Hall and
Mindanao State University compounds of Maute Group presence.
Arevalo
said he has no specific information on the remaining areas still to be cleared.
He
said that Western Mindanao Command chief, Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, announced
that it needs two to three days to completely clear Marawi City of snipers and
improvised explosive devices placed by the lawless group.
"We
need to be very cautious in dealing with such threats," he said.
Arevalo
said the AFP has estimated the number of Maute Group members involved in the
Marawi City incident between 50 to 80.
The
clash between Maute Group members started around 2:00 p.m. Tuesday at Barangay
Basak, Malutlut when government security forces learned of the presence of
Hapilon and his cohorts.
Hapilon
was reported severely wounded in the series of military operations in Lanao Del
Sur in early January.
The
former is reportedly the representative of the ISIS terror group in the
Philippines. (PNA)
