Philippines military recommends that Duterte ends martial law in south imposed after jihadists’ siege
The Philippines defense chief said on Wednesday he recommended that President Rodrigo Duterte not extend martial law in the south, where it was imposed in 2017 to help troops quell a bloody siege by jihadists in Marawi city, who were reportedly aligned with Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS).
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he told the president on Wednesday that Muslim militants have been weakened considerably and are no longer able to carry out an attack like the Marawi siege.
Duterte has extended the martial rule three times and it is due to expire at year’s end. There was no immediate reaction from the president, AP said.
The attack reinforced fears in Southeast Asia that the IS group was gaining a foothold in the region despite its battle setbacks in Iraq and Syria.