Philippine troops close to controlling besieged Marawi, but neighbouring city on lockdown to stop infiltration by militants

President Rodrigo Duterte imposed martial law across the southern third of the Philippines shortly after the fighting erupted, warning the gunmen were involved in an effort by the Islamic State group to set up a local caliphate

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A police officer checks the identity of a resident against a chart with images of ‘local terrorists’ at a checkpoint at the entrance to Iligan city. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:09pm, 29 May 2017Updated: 10:42pm, 29 May 2017

Philippine forces controlled most Marawi where gunmen linked to the Islamic State group launched a bloody siege nearly a week ago, authorities said Monday, as they put a neighbouring city on lockdown over fears of infiltration by militants.

The city of Iligan, about 38 km away, was overflowing with evacuees who were subject to stringent security checks over fears Islamist militants had sneaked out of Marawi, one of the biggest Muslim cities in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

The clashes in Marawi with the Maute militia, a group hardly known a year ago, has become the biggest security challenge of Rodrigo Duterte’s 11-month presidency, with gunmen resisting air and ground assaults and still in control of central parts of a city of 200,000 people.

The military said the rebels may be getting help from “sympathetic elements” and fighters they had freed from jail during the rampage that started on Tuesday and caught the military by surprise.

“Our ground commanders have assured that the end is almost there,” military spokesman, Restituto Padilla said.