Filipino troops recapture mosque

MANILA (AP) – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte fired a rifle toward Islamic State (IS) -linked militants during a visit Thursday to the battle zone in southern Marawi, after troops recaptured a main mosque where the gunmen had taken cover with their hostages in the three-month siege of the city, officials said.

Clad in a combat uniform, protective vest and helmet, Duterte congratulated the troops for regaining control of the Islamic Centre, an indication they are entering the final stage in ending the disastrous uprising. It was Duterte’s third known trip to the embattled city.

During his brief visit, Duterte inspected a devastated community near the frontline and spoke to troops guarding a recaptured building. He also visited a military patrol base and “tried a sniper rifle and fired twice toward the direction of the terrorists,” a government statement said.

Army Colonel Romeo Brawner said Duterte went to the main battle area, a cluster of dense, mosque-dotted communities which has been heavily damaged in the fighting, with military chief General Eduardo Ano and top commanders.

In this photo provided by Malacanang Palace in Manila, clad in a combat uniform and a protective vest, President Rodrigo Duterte holds an assault rifle during his third visit to the embattled Marawi city in southern Philippines on August 24. – AP
More than 760 people, including 595 militants, have died in the Marawi fighting, which has sparked concerns that the Islamic State group may have taken a foothold in Southeast Asia through local extremists as it suffers battle setbacks in Syria and Iraq.

About 600 gunmen launched the insurrection in Marawi’s commercial centre on May 23 after a botched army raid to capture the group’s leader, Isnilon Hapilon, according to the military.