The Philippines military is conducting air strikes as it fights to regain full control of Marawi, a city on the southern island of Mindanao that was overrun by ISIS affiliated fighters last week.
More than a hundred people have died and 70,000 have fled the town of 200,000 since fighters from the Maute Islamist militant group entered the city, and clashed with military and police.
“Precision airstrikes are (being) judiciously used to prevent collateral damage and employed at specific targets of resistance to protect our troops and hasten clearing of the city of terrorist elements who continue to resist,” military spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said Tuesday according to the official Philippine News Agency.
The Maute militants set fire to churches and other buildings as they entered the city, flying the flag of the so-called Islamic State, to which they pledged allegiance last year.
Locals told CNN last week there were long lines as people piled cars with family members and belongings as they sought to escape the ISIS-backed fighters.
Parts of neighboring Iligan city are on lock down, with a night-time curfew, to prevent fighters spreading there, according to a statement posted on the city’s official Facebook page.
The Philippines is a predominantly Catholic country but Mindanao has a significant Muslim population.
Fighting ongoing
Reports suggested the Maute fighters were reinforcing Isnilon Hapilon, a long term terrorist leader designated by ISIS as the group’s emir for Southeast Asia, after he was cornered by Philippines police and military forces in the city.
The Philippines military said the ongoing strong resistance put up by the fighters suggested Hapilon was still in the city.
According to the Philippines Department of National Defense (DND), around 65 Maute group fighters have been killed in the fighting so far, while 17 soldiers and three police officers have died.
Over the weekend, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte suggested he would be open to tapping nationalist rebel groups which recently signed peace deals with the government as reinforcements in the fight against ISIS.
In a message to members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Duterte said “if this martial law lasts and you want to help us fight for the republic … I will use you as soldiers, with the same pay, privileges, and I will build houses for you.”
Hostages escape
The DND said more than a dozen people had been executed by the militants, and numerous others have been taken hostage.
During government airstrikes against Maute group positions Monday, a large group of hostages were able to escape their captors.
Speaking to CNN Philippines, they described how 11 of them fled a building they were housed in and swam across a river to government troops on the other side. One of the men died.
The surviving hostages said they had seen one of their companions beheaded in front of them and were warned they would meet the same fate if the government did not meet the group’s demands.
Martial law
Duterte declared martial law over the entire island of Mindanao after the crisis began last week.
He has expressed a desire to potentially extend that order until the end of the year, or even nationwide, which has alarmed critics of the government and survivors of dictatorship of President Ferdinand Marcos.
The country’s constitution only permits a 60-day declaration of martial law, with any extension approved by lawmakers.
On Tuesday however, 15 of 23 senators signed a resolution expressing support for Duterte’s declaration.
The resolution said the Maute group had committed acts which constitute “the crime of rebellion” and added that imposing martial law on the region was “satisfactory, constitutional and in accordance with the law.”