Manila Scores a Victory Against ISIS but More Battles Loom

Philippine security forces, with timely international military and intelligence assistance, successfully contained, isolated, and eliminated the threat posed by the Islamic State (ISIS) in Marawi. Nearly 700 Filipino and foreign fighters that embraced ISIS ideology and practice have been killed by government and coalition forces in four months of intense combat. Initially, ISIS fighters in Marawi compared themselves to the impenetrable force that held Mosul, Iraq. But after 130 days of combat, less than 70 ISIS fighters now dominate a battle space of less than ten hectares. The troop’s advance has been slow as the urban area is heavily mined with snipers. ISIS also holds three dozen hostages, some of who have become fighters or supporters under duress.

ISIS in Marawi practices ISIS codes drawn from Iraq and Syria; it burnt down the city’s police station and jail and freed the inmates. It also executed officials, including the chief of intelligence of Marawi.