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Marawi is now clear of terrorists: Authority
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Stronger ties: (From left to right) Bruneis's Minister of Energy and Industry Haji Mohammad Yasmin bin Haji Umar, Cambodia's Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Samdech Pichey Sena Tea Banh, Indonesia's Defence Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, Lao PDR's Defence Minister Chansamone Chanyalath, Malaysia's Defence Minister Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin bin Tun Hussein, the Philippines' Defence Secretary and Chairman of the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Delfin Lorenzana, Myanmar's Defence Minister Sein Win, Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, Thailand's Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan, Vietnam's Defence Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and ASEAN Secretary General Le Luong Minh link arms during the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) opening ceremony in Clark, east of Manila on Oct.23.
(AFP/Noel Celis)
A
fter months of clashes between IS foreign fighters and the Philippines military that had destroyed the last part of Marawi, the Southern Philippines area has reportedly been liberated from terrorism, as an official from the country said the last terrorist in the area had been killed.
Philippines Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana said during the opening of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in Clark, the Philippines, on Monday that he received the report just moments before the meeting began.
“I just received the news that now I can assure you that the last foreign fighter has been killed and now Marawi is clear from IS,” he said, applauded by defense ministers from other ASEAN state members.
(Read also: Mini-Interpol proposed for ASEAN counterterrorism)
Since May, Marawi has been under attack by a local terrorist group known as the Maute Group, whose leaders had pledged allegiance to the IS organization.
During five months of fighting, more than 150 soldiers and policemen were reportedly killed while the city was heavily destroyed. (ebf)
