MANILA — Singaporeans are among the foreign nationals fighting alongside the Islamic State-linked Maute group in Marawi City, a Philippines armed forces spokesperson said on Friday (May 26).
At a press briefing, Brigadier General Restituto Padilla said there were foreigners who had “long been in the country aiding in the terrorist activities”. He identified Singaporeans, Malaysians and Indonesians as part of the group.
BG Padilla gave no further details on the supposed Singaporean fighters, or their roles in the Maute group.
As of Friday, 31 militants have been killed in Marawi City, where the Philippines army has been trying to flush out rebels of the Maute group.
The Philippines has deployed attack helicopters and special forces to drive gunmen out of the besieged southern city on the island of Mindanao, a traditional homeland of minority Muslims that encompasses the southern third of the nation.
The man at the centre of the Marawi violence is Isnilon Hapilon, an Arabic-speaking Islamic preacher known for his expertise in commando assaults. He is at the nexus of several militant groups that are trying to merge into a more powerful force.
Hapilon, who is a commander of the Abu Sayyaf militant group, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2014. He also heads an alliance that includes at least 10 smaller militant groups, including the Maute, which have a heavy presence in Marawi and were instrumental in fighting off government forces in this week’s battles.
All these groups are inspired by the Islamic State group, but so far there is no sign of significant, material ties.
As authorities tried to gain more control over the city, disturbing details have emerged.
Militants forced their way into the Marawi Cathedral and seized a Catholic priest, 10 worshippers and three church workers, according to the city’s bishop Edwin de la Pena. The black flags of the Islamic State group were planted atop buildings and flown from commandeered vehicles, including a government ambulance and an armoured car, said Mr Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr, vice governor of Lanao del Sur province, of which Marawi is the capital.
More than half of the population of Marawi has cleared out, Mr Adiong said.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday (May 23) delivered on his longstanding threat to impose martial law on Mindanao to stop the spread of radical Islam.
He recently warned that Islamic State was determined to establish a presence in the southern Philippines and the country was at risk of “contamination”.
On Friday, Manila’s solicitor-general Calida said the Maute group and Islamic State wanted to create an “ISIS province” in Mindanao and the government was not the only target of their aggression.
“People they consider as infidels, whether Christians or Muslims, are also targets of opportunity,” he said. “What it worrisome is that the ISIS has radicalised a number of Filipino Muslim youth.”
He added at a press conference: “Before it was just a local terrorist group. But now they have subscribed to the ideology of ISIS (Islamic State).
“They want to make Mindanao part of the caliphate.” AGENCIES
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