Marawi City (CNN Philippines, June 9) — If plans had not miscarried, Abu Sayyaf and Maute leaders wanted to make Marawi an Islamic state by the start of the holy month of Ramadan, on May 26.
According to Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año, “Just like what happened in Mosul, where (Abu Bakr) al-Baghdadi occupied Mosul June 2014, it was also the first day of Ramadan.”
Mosul is Iraq’s second most populous city that fell in the hands of the terror group ISIS in mid-2014.
ISIS founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the start of the caliphate or Islamic State in the great mosque of Mosul.
After two years of ISIS rule, the Iraqi government, with the help of international forces, regained control of Mosul, after a long, drawn-out battle.
Año said, the Abu Sayyaf and Maute groups wanted to replicate Mosul in Marawi as a final step to becoming fully recognized by ISIS.
Año said, “They will prove to the world that they are able to establish Islamic State here in Asia.”
A video, showing terror leaders planning the attack on Marawi, was seized in a military raid on May 23 – the same day violence broke out in the city.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, “It proves that these people were trying, planning to take over the entire Marawi City, and raise the flag at the provincial capitol, para sabihin nila ito na yung aming daesh o [so they can say this is our daesh or] the part of the caliphate na yan, with Mr. Hapilon as the emir.”
The raid forced the militants to launch their grand plan.
Año said, “Actually hindi pa sila mag attack dapat e, but because of the raid, napilitan silang mag position at prematurely i-effect kanilang plano.”
[Translation: Actually, they were still not supposed to attack, but because of the raid, they were forced to position themselves and put their plans into effect.]
But why the Philippines, particularly Marawi?
Año gives two reasons: First, because ISIS was having trouble getting support from Malaysia and Indonesia, and second , because ISIS wanted it.
“If you want to serve ISIS and you cannot go to Syria and Iraq, go to the Philippines. So they want to comply doon sa sinabi ng video na yon [with what was said in that video],” Año said.
The series of attacks on two Lanao del Sur towns in the past several months was part of the plan.
Año said the May 23 raid may have led to the crisis in Marawi, but more importantly, it aborted the ISIS plan to establish a stronghold in the country.
“Well after this, I think we have decimated them. Most of their fighters are dying now here, this will be their cemetery,” Año said.
