US special forces join fight against Philippines ISIS-affiliates after 14hr gun battle (VIDEOS)
RT.com
10 Jun, 2017
The US has drafted in special forces to assist the Philippines Army in an advisory capacity as the battle intensifies to regain control of the southern city of Marawi, under occupation by Islamic State-affiliated militants.
The Philippines military suffered heavy losses in a 14-hour gun battle on Friday in the city that killed 13 soldiers and left 40 wounded in “intense” close-quarter combat.
“They are not fighting. They are just providing technical support,” Joint Task Force Marawi spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jo-Ar Herrera told a news conference in Marawi City. A US P3 Orion surveillance plane is now operating in the skies above the city, according to local media.
The move is surprising given the strained relationship between the US and the Philippines in recent months, but highlights the scale of the task faced by government forces to end the Islamist insurgency on the island of Mindinao.
Philippines marines targeted Maute insurgent positions at 3:30am Friday morning in a battle that lasted until 5pm. The Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL)-affiliated fighters used improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket-propelled grenades to repel the assault.
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