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Fighting in southern Philippine city may end imminently: Military

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MARAWI CITY: The Philippines is preparing to declare the end of fighting in a southern city seized for five months by pro-IS rebels, a top military commander said on Saturday, as troops continued a phased withdrawal from the devastated lakeside city.


Only 20 insurgents remained in a small area in Marawi City, including five “significant” figures, and three battalions of troops were closing in on their positions, said Lieutenant-General Carlito Galvez.


“Most probably tomorrow, we can do it,” Galvez told reporters when asked when the military can declare fighting is over. “We can declare it is totally complete.”


Galvez said troops are zeroing in on three sons of Isnilon Hapilon, the slain “emir” of IS in Southeast Asia, and two Malaysians, including Amin Baco, who has been central to facilitating the movement of foreign fighters in the region.


“We cannot say our mission is totally accomplished or completed if the five persons are still there,” he said, adding the remaining militants are “struggling to survive” and to protect their shrinking position.


Another general said they were also looking for a prominent Indonesian militant. The military is concerned Hapilon’s sons and these foreign fighters could succeed core leaders of the alliance killed this


week.


Hapilon and Omarkhayam Maute were killed by commandoes on Monday. Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, who experts say may have funded the Marawi siege, was also dead, according to a freed hostage, but his body has yet to be found.


The defence ministry said on Saturday that forensic tests by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation had confirmed that the man killed was Hapilon. The United States has provided technical support to treaty ally the Philippines, including surveillance drones.


The deaths of the leaders could slow down any effort by IS to establish a presence in Mindanao. — Reuters


Duterte says he will shoot criminals


MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has offered to shoot criminals himself, while warning he may bring police back to the frontlines of his deadly war on drugs.


Duterte made the comments late on Friday following his announcement on October 11 to withdraw the police from his anti-drug war after they were accused of rights abuses in killing thousands of people while following his orders to eradicate illegal drugs in society.


He replaced them with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, which has about 2,000 officers compared with 165,000 for the police force.


Duterte has repeatedly insisted he has not ordered or incited police to murder drug addicts or suspects, while at other times he has said he would be happy to slaughter them or have tens of thousands killed. — AFP


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