ZAMBOANGA CITY — Troops on clearing operations killed at least nine pro-Islamic State Maute Group stragglers inside Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, according to a security official.
The encounter on Sunday prompted the military to warn the residents of Marawi that the main battle area remains off-limits to the public.
“The presence of the terrorist-stragglers poses a danger to the civilians in the area,” Col. Romeo Brawner, deputy commander of Joint Task Force Ranao and 103rd Army Brigade, said.
Brawner said the nine slain stragglers were believed to be part of the remaining Maute-ISIS terrorists who survived the military offensive following President Rodrigo Duterte's announcement that Marawi has been liberated.
READ: Duterte: Marawi liberated
The Maute and Abu Sayyaf group with their foreign fighters invaded Marawi last May 23 and held the city center for five months.
He said among those killed was Ibrahim Maute alias Abu Jamil, a cousin of the Maute brothers Omarkhayam and Abdulah, both leaders of the Maute group who were killed by government forces.
Brawner said the clearing will continue on the ground as there were still unaccounted stragglers hiding in a labyrinth of tunnels dug by the terrorists to survive bombardment at the height of the government's offensive in Marawi City.