Day after Philippine Pres Duterte declared martial law, members of ISIS ally Abu Sayyaf burn buildings and take hostages in Marawi City – PB/TK
Mindanao: Churchgoers ‘taken hostage’ amid Marawi siege – Aljazeera.com / May 24 2017
A priest and several churchgoers have been taken hostage by gunmen in Marawi city, on the island of Mindanao in southern Philippines, as thousands of residents fled ongoing unrest that prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in the region.
The violence erupted on Tuesday after the army raided the hideout of Isnilon Hapilon, a commander of the Abu Sayyaf group, which has pledged allegiance to ISIL. Abu Sayyaf fighters called for reinforcements from an allied group, the Maute, and dozens of gunmen managed to enter Marawi, home to about 200,000 people.
Clashes between security forces and about 100 fighters ensued, leaving at least three members of the security forces dead. The attackers reportedly burned a Catholic church, the city jail, and two schools, as well as occupied the main streets and two bridges leading to the city, located some 816km south of the capital, Manila.
Continue to Aljazeera.com article: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/05/mindanao-churchgoers-hostage-marawi-siege-170524085829461.html
