Siege of Marawi
The siege of Marawi (Filipino: Pagkubkob sa Marawi),[30][31] also known as the Marawi crisis (Krisis sa Marawi)[32] and the Battle of Marawi (Labanan sa Marawi), was a five-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on May 23, 2017, between Philippine government security forces against militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups.[33] The battle also became the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines.[19]
According to the Philippine government, the clashes began during an offensive in Marawi to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the IS-affiliated Abu Sayyaf group, after receiving reports that Hapilon was in the city, possibly to meet with militants of the Maute group.[34][35] A deadly firefight erupted when Hapilon's forces opened fire on the combined army and police teams and called for reinforcements from the Maute group, an armed group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and which is believed to be responsible for the 2016 Davao City bombing, according to military spokesmen.[36]
Maute group militants attacked Camp Ranao and occupied several buildings in the city, including Marawi City Hall, Mindanao State University, a hospital and the city jail.[36] They also occupied the main street and set fire to Saint Mary's Cathedral, Ninoy Aquino School and Dansalan College, run by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP).[34][37] The militants also took a priest and several churchgoers hostage.[38]
The Armed Forces of the Philippines stated that some of the terrorists were foreigners who had been in the country for a long time, offering support to the Maute group in Marawi. Their main objective was to raise an ISIL flag at the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol and declare a wilayat or provincial IS territory in Lanao del Sur.[39][40]
On October 17, 2017, the day after the deaths of militant leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon, President Duterte declared that Marawi was "liberated from terrorist influence".[41] Then on October 23, 2017, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced that the five-month battle against the terrorists in Marawi had finally ended.[42]