Children have reportedly been taken hostage by pro-ISIS militants after jihadis stormed a school in the south of the Philippines on Wednesday (June 21), reports express.co.uk.
Around 300 armed men, including members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), stormed a school in Pigcawayan town in Mindanao.
Several students were said to have been taken captive.
A military spokesman, Brig Gen Restituto Padilla, has now confirmed the school is “safe”.
He did not comment on whether children were involved but added that the militants had tried to use “human shields”.
Chief Inspector Realan Mamon added that members of the BIFF had engaged in a gun battle with the military.
Mamon said “We can confirm that they occupied a school and there were civilians trapped.
“We are in the process of determining how many were trapped and their identities.”
Eliseo Garcesa, mayor of Pigcawayan town, said he was still seeking information about possible casualties.
Pigcawayan is just 190 km (120 miles) south of the besieged Marawi City, where BIFF militants and other pro-ISIS fighters are said to have taken hundreds of civilians hostage since May 23.
But Padilla said he believes the attack by BIFF is not a spillover from the Marawi siege.
Early on in the Malawi siege, which has been ongoing for five weeks, the twisted militants took hostages in a church.
The Philippines president, Robert Duterte declared martial law last month as he called on his nation’s armed forces to “crush” the Islamist extremists.
Duterte said “Baghdadi himself, the leader of the ISIS, has specifically ordered terroristic activities here in the Philippines.”
“When I say crush them, you have to destroy everything including lives. Rebellion is no joking matter.
“I cannot stop my soldiers now – let’s finish this war that Islamic State has started.”
US special forces have been assisting the embattled Filipino army re-take Marawi as troops launched a renewed push against the militants in Marawi City on Tuesday.
The Philippines’ armed forces have been using a combination of ground operations by soldiers and helicopter air strikes in a bid to dislodge the pro-ISIS Abu Sayyaf group from its hold on Marawi.
BDST: 1400 HRS, JUN 21, 2017
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