Duterte declares martial rule in south Philippines

24 May 2017 10:34 am - 7 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Wednesday enforced martial law in his country’s south as he abruptly left Moscow to deal with a crisis at home sparked by a Muslim extremist siege on a city, where militants burned buildings overnight and are feared to have taken hostages, Washington Post posted on Tuesday.

Duterte declared martial rule for 60 days in the entire southern Mindanao region, the restive third of the Philippine archipelago, Tuesday evening to try to crush Muslim extremists who have aligned themselves with the Islamic State group and occupied a hospital, jail and other buildings and battled troops in an audacious attack in Marawi City.

Martial law could be extended for a year depending on how long the problem could be quelled, Duterte said on board a plane en route to the Philippines.

“I said I would be harsh and I warned everybody not to force my hand into it,” Duterte said. “I have to do it to preserve the republic.”

Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said troops raided the hideout of a top terrorist suspect in Marawi on Tuesday, sparking a gun battle that prompted the militants to call for reinforcements from an allied group, the Maute. He said dozens of gunmen occupied city hall, a hospital and a jail and burned a Catholic church, a college and some houses in a bold attack that killed at least two soldiers and a police officer and wounded 12 others.

Several militants were killed in the fighting in Marawi city in Lanao del Sur province, about 830 kilometers (520 miles) south of Manila, but others continued to lay siege to the largely Muslim city of more than 200,000 people, officials said, adding that power was cut in the city in the chaos.

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Comments - 7

mike Wednesday, 24 May 2017 12:47 PM

finally a leader with guts!!! terrorist should be eliminated - no mercy. ask US/UN/WEST/ human rights groups to go to hell. we had a leader who did just that

alex Wednesday, 24 May 2017 02:42 PM

SL should learn from Durette how to put an end to similar mess here.Duertte should be allowed to take care of our own BBS in a similar manner

Ajja Wednesday, 24 May 2017 04:37 PM

Very difficult to deal like that in Srilanka as long as we got "Wal booru Nidahasa" under "Yaha Paalanaya".

Alfred Colins Wednesday, 24 May 2017 04:42 PM

Hats off to such a bold president.I wish he can give some of his strength and valuable inputs to our Sri Lankan so called unprofessional government and opposition.

Damien Wednesday, 24 May 2017 04:54 PM

I wish we had sri lankan leaders with such guts to exterminate extremism here.

ceylon Wednesday, 24 May 2017 06:28 PM

learn to kill only poor drug addicts .sri lanka also doing same as dutertepunishing only poor kudu addictsnot kudu leaders. via DM Android App

TMA Thursday, 25 May 2017 04:51 AM

Sri Lankan logic: Love any murderer, just cos the West doesn't like him. Yeah back in the days our people did love Hitler and Idi Amin

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Duterte declares martial rule in south Philippines

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