A Victory Against ISIS in the Philippines Leaves a City Destroyed

Five months ago, a group of pro-ISIS militants attacked and took control of parts of the southern Philippine city of Marawi. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the siege that has raged since then, as Philippine government troops waged war against the pro-ISIS occupiers—local terrorist groups called the Maute Group and Abu Sayyaf. Airstrikes and thousands of government troops involved in street battles took an enormous toll on the city as well, damaging or destroying hundreds of houses, mosques, and other buildings. After the deaths of two of the militant leaders, President Rodrigo Duterte declared the fighting over last week, and said that Marawi City had been liberated. Today, some of the 400,000 displaced residents are being allowed to return to parts of their war-ravaged city.

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