Residents evacuate after firefight with Islamic militants in the southern Philippines

Record ID: 875795

  • Title: Residents evacuate after firefight with Islamic militants in the southern Philippines
  • Date: 24th May 2017
  • Summary: LANAO DEL SUR PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES (MAY 24, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS IN RAINCOATS CONDUCTING VEHICLE SEARCH AT CHECKPOINT ON CITY OUTSKIRTS POLICE OFFICERS CONDUCTING SEARCH NEAR SIGN READING (English): "STOP. PNP/AFP CHECKPOINT" (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) EVACUEE, ALI NAJER, SAYING: "We want to hide because there were a lot of ISIS militants there." EVACUEES ONBOARD VEHICLE POLICE INSPECTING VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) ELDERLY EVACUEE, HAJJA MARIAM, SAYING: "We came from Marawi City and we left there because of the chaos. We'll stay in Iligan city for now." RESIDENTS WITH BELONGINGS WALKING ON ROAD RESIDENTS QUEUING IN FRONT OF SECURITY CHECK VARIOUS OF POLICE INSPECTING BAGS
  • Embargoed: 7th June 2017 11:16
  • Keywords: firefight military Islamic militants residents evacuation
  • Location: LANAO DEL SUR PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES
  • City: LANAO DEL SUR PROVINCE, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016I77491
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Residents fled their homes in the southern Philippines on Wednesday (May 24) following intense fighting between government troops and Islamic militants who took over large parts of a city.
    President Rodrigo Duterte cut short his trip to Russia and declared martial law on his native island of Mindanao following a failed raid by soldiers on Tuesday (May 23) on a hideout of the Maute militant group, which triggered clashes and chaos across the largely Muslim city of Marawi.
    Soldiers and police had set up various checkpoints in the region and inspected the fleeing residents who sought shelter in neighbouring towns.
    The Maute and Abu Sayyaf militant groups have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and have proved fierce opponents for the military as Duterte seeks to crush extremists and prevent radical Islamist ideology from spreading in the Philippines.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2017. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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