Marawi City (CNN Philippines, September 28) — The military on Thursday carried out offensives against an unknown armed group in an island in Lanao del Sur over 30 kilometers from terror-stricken Marawi City.
The military initiated air and water assaults in Balt Island in Bacolod-Kalawi town at around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, against seven armed men who were spotted there since Wednesday.
Balt Island is surrounded by Lanao Lake, a possible escape route of terrorists who have been holed up in Marawi for over four months.
The armed men, who were discovered with small and big motorized boats, could possibly be bringing reinforcements for the remaining Maute fighters, Joint Task Group Ranao Deputy Commander Romeo Brawner said.
“Let this be a warning sa mga gustong mag-reinforce sa Maute-ISIS terrorist group na wag na kayo tumuloy pa sa inyong balak na mag-reinforce dahil marami po kaming kasama sa effort natin para matapos ang kaguluhan,” Brawner said.
[Translation: “Let this be a warning to those who want to reinforce the Maute-ISIS terrorist group not push through with their plans because we have many troops working towards ending the war.]
This is not the first time armed men were spotted in areas outside Marawi.
Military and local government officials said the presence of 20 armed men sparked tension among residents of Bayang, a quiet lakeside town around 50 kilometers south of Marawi City on September 20 and 23.
There was a brief exchange of gunfire on September 20. The military said it is investigating if the incident is related to the war in Marawi – and if the armed men are affiliated with the ISIS-linked Maute terror group.
The military said they are prepared for any possible spillover of the terror crisis in Marawi to other parts of Mindanao, especially because fighting is expected to intensify as it nears its end.
The military is optimistic the firefight in Marawi City will end within 15 days, while Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana sees an even earlier end to it.
A total of 711 members of the ISIS-linked Maute group, 152 troops, and 47 civilians have been killed in Marawi since May 23, when clashes between soldiers and terrorists began, prompting President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law throughout Mindanao.
Meanwhile, the military has turned over four ATM vaults recovered from the Land Bank of the Philippines branch in Marawi City.
The vaults were already damaged and could no longer be used, but Land Bank officials said it’s a good gesture to retrieve government properties despite its conditions.
