By Michael Punongbayan and Edu Punay
MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Maute group holed up in Marawi City are down to about 20 to 40 gunmen, the military said yesterday as government troops continue to close in on the remaining strongholds of the terrorists.
Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the remaining Maute terrorists continue to pose a threat since they are still holding hostages in two barangays.
“Based on the ground commander’s estimate, their number has decreased to less than 40. So maybe their forces have been reduced to between 20 and 40. The force is getting smaller,” Padilla said in a press briefing yesterday in Malacañang.
“Their capacity to inflict harm, by the way, is still there because they still have arms, they still have adequate ammunition and they still continue to hold hostages. So that’s the compounding factor,” he added.
Islamic State-inspired Maute group laid siege on the predominantly Muslim city last May 23, prompting President Duterte to declare martial law in the entire island of Mindanao. The military has stopped setting a timeline for the Marawi operations after repeatedly missing its self-imposed deadlines.
Padilla said the clearing of Marawi City would not necessarily lead to the lifting of martial law in Mindanao.
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