The military still needs to wrest control of an area about 180,000 square meters (sq m), or 18 hectares, in Marawi City before it can declare that its war against the Maute-IS group is finally over.
Soldiers also have to clear at least 300 remaining structures, including houses and buildings with homemade bombs, to fully liberate the city from the clutches of the terrorists who have been fighting the government since May 23.
Military Public Affairs Office Chief Col. Edgard A. Arevalo gave a situation of the battleground on Tuesday as the military’s deadline of October 26—the retirement date of Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo M. Año—to end the fighting approaches.
“They are moving within the area of around 10 hectares, but the area that still needs to be cleared is about 15 [hectares] to 18 hectares,” Arevalo said.
The 10 hectares, or about 100,000 sq m, have been designated as the battle zone between the soldiers and the terrorists who were believed to be still holding at least 40 or so civilians as captives.
The hostages being held by the Maute Group were among the reasons military officials, and even President Duterte, said the push against the terrorists, who are now only between 30 and 40 fighters, has slowed.
Two captives, including Fr. Teresito “Chito” Soganub, were rescued by soldiers last Saturday following their recapture of the Bato Mosque, which was occupied by militants since May.
Defense Secretary Defin N. Lorenzana said on Monday that more than 600 terrorists have been killed since the fighting broke out almost four months ago, which was spawned by a failed government operation to get local IS head Isnilon Hapilon.
Meanwhile, Arevalo said Soganub did not say if he had been forced into converting to Islam by his captors.
“There is no categorical revelation by Father Chito that he was forced to convert to Islam,” he said.
The Roman Catholic priest was presented by Lorenzana and Año during a news conference on Monday afternoon at Camp Aguinaldo. The priest remains at the camp undergoing debriefing.