Philippines steps up bombing of Islamist militants in city

Philippine security forces yesterday intensified a bombing campaign on homes and other buildings in a southern city where they have been battling Islamist militants for five days, and warned there may be collateral damage.

President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law across the southern third of the Philippines in response to the clashes, which have claimed at least 48 lives and he has said are part of a campaign by the Islamic State (IS) group to establish a local caliphate.

Most of the 200,000 residents of Marawi, one of the major Muslim cities in the mainly Catholic Philippines, fled the city because of the fighting as the military used air raids and engaged in street-to-street battles to flush out the militants.

But, with security forces unable to end the crisis and the gunmen believed to be holding up to 15 hostages, the military warned yesterday that it would step up the bombing assaults.

The violence erupted on Tuesday when dozens of gunmen went on a rampage throughout Marawi in response to an attempt by security forces to arrest Isnilon Hapilon, a veteran Filipino militant regarded as the local leader of IS.

The gunmen planted black IS flags, took a priest and up to 14 other people hostage from a church, and set fire to buildings. Thirteen soldiers, two policemen and 31 militants have died in the fighting, according to authorities.

Duterte also said on Friday that he was prepared to talk with the group's leaders. However there appeared to be an extremely small chance of talks, unless they were to negotiate the release of the hostages.