Southern Philippine city suffers from firefight with Islamic militants

Record ID: 875911

  • Title: Southern Philippine city suffers from firefight with Islamic militants
  • Date: 25th May 2017
  • Summary: MARAWI CITY, PHILIPPINES (MAY 25, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EMPTY STREETS AND CLOSED ESTABLISHMENTS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET WHILE CARRYING BELONGINGS (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) EVACUEE, EDITH, SAYING: "We're leaving. There's a lot of ISIS militants outside our homes. We can no longer take it and we need to save our children." RESIDENT SULTAN HAJI ISMAEL DEMASALA SITTING ON MOTORBIKE (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) RESIDENT, SULTAN HAJI ISMAEL DEMASALA, SAYING: "We do not plan on evacuating because if Allah wills it so, then we cannot stop it." ROAD SIGN/ VEHICLE PASSING BY VEHICLE MOVING ON STREET/ CLOSED GASOLINE STATION (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) GASOLINE STATION ATTENDANT, ANWAR, SAYING: "Our business is one hundred percent dead. You can see, nobody will get gas here, and maybe the next day some will use our gas and not pay." VARIOUS OF CLOSED ESTABLISHMENTS
  • Embargoed: 8th June 2017 07:41
  • Keywords: shops firefight martial law Maute group Islamic militants Marawi City
  • Location: MARAWI CITY, PHILIPPINES
  • City: MARAWI CITY, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
  • Reuters ID: LVA0016IC61C5
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Clashes between government troops and Islamic militants caused businesses to close down, cut power and sent thousands of residents to flee their homes in a southern Philippine city on Thursday (May 25).
    The army sent about 100 soldiers, including U.S.-trained Special Forces, to retake buildings and streets in mainly Muslim Marawi City held by militants of the Maute group, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
    Thousands fled as rebels seized large parts of the city and torched buildings in running battles with government forces that erupted on Tuesday (May 23) afternoon after a failed raid by security forces on one of the group's hideouts.
    In one part of Marawi, gunshots could be heard while residents sought to seek shelter away from the firefight while some decided to t until the assault was over. Many of businesses in the once bustling city of 200,000 people have closed down in fear of the clashes spreading.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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