Despite Philippines military assuring that the Marawi battle is approaching its end, officers continue to discover more bodies of foreign militants, who were fighting for the Maute group.
This was revealed when Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General, Eduardo Ano, said three Malaysians, one Indonesian and possibly few Arab extremists have been killed in the latest military offensives in Marawi City.
The military is puzzled as to how these foreign militants moved to the Southern Philippines and engaged in a firefight with soldiers.
Earlier, a Singapore online media quoted a think tank group saying that a militant training center was set up in the Southern Philippines and was training Indonesians, Malaysians, Singaporeans, Thai and Arab extremists. The training center became the connecting link between Philippines and Malaysia and other foreign militant groups.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said that suspected militants fighting in Syria are looking at Southern Philippines as their next destination. Currently, these are the possible angles Philippines government is investigating to understand why foreign militants were fighting side by side with the local Maute group.
Moreover, upon learning about this terror-related collaboration, Duterte also sought the support of three revolutionary organizations to fight the militant groups in Marawi and nearby municipalities in Lanao Province.
While visiting Sulu province to honour wounded soldiers fighting the Abu Sayyaf, another militant group, Duterte announced that he would offer same military benefits to revolutionary fighters who will fight against the Maute group.
So far, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) headed by Nur Misuari was the only revolutionary leader who responded to the call by offering 5,000 of his armed fighters to the government.
Duterte also challenged followers of the New People's Army to heed his call and abandon their leaders, who are just enriching themselves through revolutionary taxes.
The leader further said that if the war in Marawi takes longer, he will be creating a new army division to accommodate revolutionary fighters to fight the Maute militant group.
