Philippines troops find 40 ISIS bodies, soon to declare end of siege
Philippine troops have captured a building where pro-Islamic State group militants made their final stand in southern Marawi city and found about 40 bodies of suspected gunmen inside, two security officials told The Associated Press on Monday.
The officials said the seizure of the building and the defeat of the militants would allow the military to declare later on Monday the end of the Marawi siege, which hundreds of black flag-waving gunmen launched exactly five months ago.
The two officials spoke to The AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to make public the latest developments in Marawi, where government forces have begun a gradual withdrawal as the fighting considerably eased in recent days.
It’s possible that a few militants may still be hiding. It was not immediately clear how the dozens of suspected militants found in the two-story building near Lake Lanao died but it’s possible some committed suicide after they were cornered by troops, one of the officials said.
