[ALMASDARNEWS] The Philippine government forces continued their operation against members of the Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems.... -aligned Maute group in Marawi’s Barangay Mapandi, Sunday.
Some 50 Maute murderous Moslems are reportedly being pursued by government forces as Marawi remains blockaded.
During the operation, several armoured vehicles were reportedly damaged in Barangay Mapandi, a Maute stronghold.
Efforts to evacuate some 2,000 civilians trapped by the fighting between the government forces and Maute murderous Moslems were halted when a proposed four-hour ceasefire deal failed amid renewed gunfire and Arclight airstrikes.
Out of 2,000 trapped civilians, only 170 were reportedly evacuated since rescuers were only able to access areas located on the fringes of Maute-held zones.
The ceasefire accord was initially reached after last week’s meeting between Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and representatives of the country’s largest opposition group, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), who offered to broker the ceasefire negotiations.
Under the accord, unarmed MILF murderous Moslems were expected to evacuate trapped Marawi residents during the four-hour period, which was due to end at 12:00 local time (4:00 GMT).
Over 180 people have already died after the Maute group, which has pledged allegiance to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIS/ISIS), stormed the city on May 23.
Most of the 200,000 population have fled though over 2,000 remain trapped in Marawi.
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Posted by: Fred ||
06/05/2017 00:00 ||
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[AFP] There are about 1,200 Islamic State operatives in the Philippines, including foreigners of whom 40 are from Indonesia, the Indonesian defense minister told an international security forum on Sunday. Speaking in Singapore, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu called the terrorists "killing machines" and urged full-scale regional cooperation against them.
The threat of heightened terrorism, including the impending return of hundreds of Southeast Asian fighters who fought with ISIS in Syria and Iraq, has been a hot-button issue at the three-day Singapore summit also attended by U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.
"How can we tackle these foreign fighters? We have to be comprehensive. We have to find... complete ways but we must exercise caution, they are killing machines. Their aim is to kill other people so that's why it's our responsibility that we have common understanding, consensus and common proceedings on how to fight these foreign fighters," said Ryacudu, a retired general.
Philippine Defense Undersecretary Ricardo David, speaking at the same forum, said the 1,200 figure for total ISIS fighters in the Philippines mentioned by Indonesia was new to him. He said, "I really don't know, my figure is about 250-400, a lot less."
But David said there were 40 foreign ISIS fighters among those who seized parts of Marawi, eight of whom have been killed by government forces. Earlier, Philippine officials said the killed foreign fighters were from Malaysia, Indonesia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Chechnya.
The Philippine official said that the foreign fighters used "back channels" in the Sulu and Celebes Seas near the borders of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia to enter Mindanao and link up with local terrorists. David said, "That's why they were able to muster the operations in the area of Marawi."
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Posted by: ryuge ||
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[Reuters] Thousands of civilians hoping to flee the fighting in Marawi remained trapped on Sunday after a four-hour ceasefire to evacuate residents was marked by gunfire. Only 134 were freed on Sunday, less than on previous days, despite government hopes that more than 1,000 would be able to leave a city battered by 13 days of intense fighting.
President Rodrigo Duterte predicted the siege would be over within days despite fierce resistance by militants aligned to Islamic State in the dense urban heart of the southern Philippines city.
"This will be over in about three more days. I will not hesitate to use every power available," Duterte said on Saturday after visiting a hospital in Cagayan de Oro where injured soldiers were being treated.
About 400 local rebels reinforced by about 40 foreign fighters stormed Marawi on May 23, using sophisticated tactics to take control of large swaths of the lakeside city. They have been pushed back to the city center by security forces over the past week after some 4,000 ground troops were bolstered by helicopters and aircraft deploying rockets and bombs.
Residents have reported that the airstrikes caused extensive property damage and dozens of civilian deaths. Authorities raised the civilian death toll from 20 to 38 on Sunday, but said those deaths were caused by the rebels. A presidential spokesman said 120 militants had died, along with 38 government troops.
Duterte said the use of air power had been restrained so far. He said, "I can end this war in 24 hours. All I have to do is to bomb the whole place and level it to the ground."
Duterte has asked the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to help negotiate a peace agreement with the Islamist fighters, who are predominantly drawn from the Maute group based in and around Marawi.
MILF personnel organized Sunday's ceasefire, which was to run from 8 am until noon. They roamed the streets with loudspeakers urging residents to leave. But by 9am, gunfire had broken out, deterring many from joining a mass exodus.
Marawi City's mayor Majul Gandamra had said he was expecting "more or less 1,000 plus to be rescued today". But in the end, only 134 were evacuated, less than previous days when there were no ceasefires. About 2,000 civilians remain in the city.
Irene Santiago, appointed by the government to organise the "peace corridor", said the effort was a success, noting the fighting was several kilometers away from where the evacuation took place. She said negotiations were continuing with the Maute militants for another temporary ceasefire on Monday.
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Posted by: ryuge ||
06/05/2017 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
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[ALMASDARNEWS] The Philippine government forces continued their operation against members of the 
[AFP] There are about 1,200 Islamic State operatives in the Philippines, including foreigners of whom 40 are from Indonesia, the Indonesian defense minister told an international security forum on Sunday. Speaking in Singapore, Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu called the terrorists "killing machines" and urged full-scale regional cooperation against them.
[Reuters] Thousands of civilians hoping to flee the fighting in Marawi remained trapped on Sunday after a four-hour ceasefire to evacuate residents was marked by gunfire. Only 134 were freed on Sunday, less than on previous days, despite government hopes that more than 1,000 would be able to leave a city battered by 13 days of intense fighting.
