A Catholic priest held hostage for almost four months in the beleaguered southern city of Marawi was rescued hours after a deadly battle between Philippine soldiers and the Islamic State-allied militants.
Father Rey Teresito Larroza Soganub – more commonly known as “Father Chito” – was found abandoned with another hostage, Lordbin Noblesa Acopio, near a mosque early Sunday. “As the firefight to retake the Bato mosque between the government security forces and the Maute-ISIS Group progressed, our troop gained the upper hand, the terrorists were forced to withdraw to nearby structures at the periphery of the mosque,” Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo stated in a press conference.
Father Chito and Acopio were then immediately brought to the Headquarters of Task Force where they were given appropriate medical attention.
Father Chito had been held captive since the militants attacked the Saint Mary's Cathedral during the siege of Marawi on May 23, 2017. Philippine forces have held back launching a full-scale attack on the rebel strongholds, fearing for the lives of Father Chito and several hundred other hostages.
Other updates on the crisis in Marawi include a successful mission in subduing the terrorists and regaining the Bato Mosque and the JIMF (Jamaitul Islamiya Marawi Foundation) which were two of the Maute-ISIS Groups’ strongholds that were used as their firearms nest, IED (improvised explosive device) assembly point and storage for their combat supplies.
Aguinaldo also reassured the public that the soldiers, airmen, sailors, marines, policemen, and coast guards will be able to complete their mission sooner than expected.
As of September 18, 2017 (Day 119 of the crisis in Marawi), a total of 673 terrorists were neutralised and 47 civilians were murdered since the crisis broke while 1,730 civilians were rescued.