Philippines Announces End to Siege of Marawi City by ISIS Allies

The Philippines, five months after extensive operations in the southern part of the country against militants allied with the so-called Islamic State, announced that the siege of Marawi by this group has ended. The operation to retake Marawi is described as the largest security crisis in recent years in the Philippines. While leaders and senior officials from Southeast Asian nations have gathered in the Philippines, and defense ministers from other countries, including the United States, have also visited, Manila has reported the defeat and end of the siege of Marawi. Delfin Lorenzana, the Philippine Defense Minister, stated on November 1 that 'no militants remain in Marawi city.' He added that military operations had concluded following the last clashes with militants in the city center. Reuters reported from its journalists in the city that gunfire from automatic weapons was still heard early Monday morning. A spokesperson for the Philippine Army confirmed that armed clashes were ongoing but stated that 'no terrorists remain in the city.' General Padilla told Reuters that military and security forces in the Philippines have been trying to force the remaining militants to surrender, but they have refused. Reports indicate that among the dead, the bodies of two militants' wives were also found. Philippine security forces engaged in battle with ISIS-aligned militants in the south of the country in June. The operations and intense clashes, utilizing heavy weaponry, armored vehicles, and helicopters for complete control of the city, have continued. Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, declared martial law in the southern part of the country at that time. These house-to-house clashes began after Philippine security forces attempted to capture the self-proclaimed emir of the Islamic State in Southeast Asia. Islamist militants undertook various actions during the siege of Marawi, including operations in other areas, attacks on schools, and hostage-taking of civilians. In mid-June, the Philippine Army officially announced that it was receiving 'technical support' from the United States in the defeat of the siege of Marawi. On November 2, defense ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), along with their counterparts from the United States, Russia, China, and several other countries, are discussing threats posed by terrorism and North Korea's military and nuclear program during the ASEAN meeting in the Philippines.