AFP says declaration of Marawi liberation not premature

Soldiers pursue a suspected straggler in Marawi City after he was sighted in the main battle area on Thursday, Nov. 2. Suspected Indonesian terrorist Muhammad Ilham Syahputra, who was arrested Wednesday, claimed 39 more Maute terrorists and sympathizers remain in the main battle area. 

MANILA – Despite the reported presence of stragglers in war-torn Marawi, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday insisted that the government did not prematurely declare the city’s liberation from Islamic State-inspired terrorists last week.
AFP Spokesperson Maj. Gen. Restituto Padilla Jr. defended government's declaration of the end of hostilities in Marawi City even while some terrorists were still known to remain in the battle area.
“Iyung declaration ng liberation ay iyong punto na wala na itong bearing. Iyung mga naiiwang stragglers, they are leaderless, they have no direction. They are merely fighting for survival. So they have no impact on the overall security of the place,” Padilla said in a news conference in Malacañang.
Duterte declared the liberation of Marawi City on Oct. 17, a day after government troops killed terror leaders Isnilon Hapilon and Omar Maute.
On Oct. 23, exactly five months since the siege erupted, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the battle in the city was finally over.
Despite these declarations, several terrorists were reportedly spotted in the city. A suspected Indonesian terrorist identified as Muhammadin Ilham Syahputra was arrested in Lanao del Sur Wednesday as he was trying to flee from government troops.