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| Siege of Marawi | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | Siege of Marawi |
| Partof | War on Terror, Moro conflict |
| Date | 23 May – 23 October 2017 |
| Place | Marawi, Lanao del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines |
| Result | Philippine government victory; ISIL-affiliated militants expelled |
| Combatant1 | Philippine Armed Forces; Philippine National Police; Armed Forces of the Philippines units; Special Action Force; Marine Corps; Army; Air Force |
| Combatant2 | Maute group; Abu Sayyaf; ISIS–Philippines; Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant; foreign fighters |
| Commander1 | Rodrigo Duterte; Eduardo Año; Carlito Galvez Jr.; Delfin Lorenzana; Reynaldo Mapagu; Rolando Joselito Bautista |
| Commander2 | Isnilon Hapilon; Omar Maute; Abdullah Maute; Isnilon Hapilon (claimed emir) |
| Strength1 | Philippine forces, supporting units, coalition advisers |
| Strength2 | estimated 500–1,200 militants |
| Casualties1 | hundreds killed and wounded (military, police) |
| Casualties2 | several hundred killed; captured; surrendered |
| Civilian | over 1,000 civilians killed or missing; hundreds of thousands displaced |
Siege of Marawi The siege of Marawi was a five-month urban battle in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, on the island of Mindanao, Philippines, between government security forces and ISIL-affiliated militants. It began with clashes after an attempt to capture a high-value target and developed into protracted urban warfare involving airstrikes, artillery, snipers, and hostage-taking. The confrontation prompted a nationwide martial law declaration, large-scale humanitarian evacuation, and international concern from neighboring states and multilateral organizations.
Marawi sits within the Bangsamoro region and has historical links to the Moro conflict, including prior engagements involving the Moro National Liberation Front, Moro Islamic Liberation Front, and various splinter groups. Mindanao has been a focal point for insurgency, including clashes with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police. The Maute group and Abu Sayyaf had established networks in Lanao del Sur, with ties to transnational jihadist currents such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and pledges to ISIS leadership. Regional actors including Malaysia, Indonesia, and the United States had monitored the rise of foreign fighters in Southeast Asia, while domestic policy initiatives under President Rodrigo Duterte and security officials shaped counterterrorism posture.
Intelligence operations and counterterrorism raids by Philippine forces targeted Isnilon Hapilon and Maute brothers Omar and Abdullah Maute. Operations involved Special Action Force units, Army infantry, Marine battalions, and Air Force reconnaissance. Hapilon, once linked to Abu Sayyaf and reputedly appointed as an ISIL emir in the Philippines, became a high-value individual sought by Joint Task Force operations. The convergence of militants in Marawi followed declarations of allegiance to the Islamic State and recruitment via online propaganda networks, drawing attention from ASEAN partners and international counterterrorism agencies.
Clashes erupted after an operation intended to capture Hapilon encountered fortified resistance, leading to militants seizing municipal buildings, mosques, and hostages. Urban fighting spread across barangays, with militants using buildings and tunnels for defensive positions. Philippine Army and Marine units, supported by the Philippine Air Force, engaged in house-to-house clearing operations. The conflict attracted foreign media coverage and diplomatic statements from the United Nations and regional capitals, while intelligence cooperation involved bilateral support from the United States, Australia, and other partners.
Government forces employed mechanized infantry, artillery, close air support, sniper teams, and Special Forces tactics to retake districts. The Maute group and Abu Sayyaf utilized guerrilla tactics, improvised explosive devices, sniper nests, booby traps, and hostage-driven leverage. Urban warfare highlighted challenges exemplified in prior conflicts such as the Battle of Fallujah and the Second Battle of Mogadishu, prompting adaptations in rules of engagement and coordination among Army, Navy, Air Force, and police Special Action Force elements. Commanders such as Eduardo Año and Carlito Galvez Jr. directed joint operations, while international advisers provided surveillance, intelligence, and ordnance disposal assistance.
The siege precipitated mass displacement, with hundreds of thousands evacuated to evacuation centers across Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, Iligan, and adjacent provinces. Humanitarian agencies including the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Committee of the Red Cross, and local NGOs mobilized relief, shelter, and medical aid. Displaced populations faced shortages of food, water, sanitation, and healthcare, while concerns about improvised explosive hazards prompted clearance operations by explosive ordnance disposal teams. Neighboring countries and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations monitored refugee flows and border security implications.
Combat resulted in substantial casualties among Philippine military personnel, police, militants, and civilians, including reports of civilian deaths, disappearances, and wounded. Cultural sites, mosques, commercial districts, and residential areas sustained extensive destruction, leaving Marawi’s urban fabric devastated. The intensity of urban bombardment and close-quarters combat produced large-scale structural collapse and contamination of utilities, comparable in urban effect to campaigns in Aleppo and Mosul. Official casualty and damage assessments involved Armed Forces inventories, municipal records, and third-party humanitarian surveys.
Following the retaking of Marawi, authorities initiated clearing operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and damage assessment. Rehabilitation and reconstruction plans involved the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao transition, national task forces, and international partners for demining, housing, infrastructure, and economic recovery. Controversies emerged around land rights, property restitution, and the balance between rapid reconstruction and heritage preservation. Programs drew on precedents from post-conflict reconstruction efforts such as reconstruction in Beirut and post-war stabilization in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The siege led to President Rodrigo Duterte’s proclamation of martial law in Mindanao, prompting debates in the Philippine Congress, the Supreme Court, and civil society organizations including human rights groups. Legal challenges addressed constitutional limits, habeas corpus considerations, and oversight by legislative committees. Investigations by human rights monitors, both domestic and international, examined alleged abuses, rules of engagement, and civilian protection under international humanitarian law. The event influenced national counterterrorism legislation, regional security cooperation frameworks among ASEAN members, and bilateral relationships with the United States, Australia, and neighboring states on information sharing and counterradicalization initiatives.
Category:2017 in the Philippines Category:Battles involving the Philippines Category:Insurgencies in Asia