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| Southeast Asia |
| Philippine troops fight gunmen in Lanao del Sur |
| 2017-09-29 |
| [CNN] The Philippine military carried out offensives against an unknown armed group in an island in Lanao del Sur over 30 kilometers from beseiged Marawi City. The military initiated air and water assaults in Balt Island in Bacolod-Kalawi town on Thursday morning against seven armed men who were spotted there on Wednesday. Balt Island is surrounded by Lanao Lake, a possible escape route for terrorists who have been holed up in Marawi for over four months. The armed men, who were discovered with motorboats, could possibly be bringing reinforcements for the remaining Maute fighters, Joint Task Group Ranao Deputy Commander Romeo Brawner said. This is not the first time armed men were spotted outside of Marawi. Military and local government officials said the presence of 20 armed men sparked tension among residents of Bayang, a quiet lakeside town around 50 kilometers south of Marawi City on September 20 and 23. There was a brief exchange of gunfire on September 20. The military is optimistic the firefight in Marawi City will end within 15 days, while Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana sees an even earlier end to it. |
| Posted by:ryuge |