White House condemns Philippines violence
The White House is condemning recent violence in the Philippines by militants linked to the Islamic State group.
In a statement released Thursday, the White House says "cowardly terrorists killed Philippine law enforcement officials and endangered the lives of innocent citizens."
It adds that the United States will provide "support and assistance to Philippine counterterrorism efforts." The statement from the press secretary says the United States is a "proud ally of the Philippines."
Army tanks packed with soldiers have rolled into a southern Philippine city to try to restore control after militants linked to the Islamic State group launched a violent siege. Thousands of civilians have been fleeing Marawi, a city of some 200,000 people.
