No halt to air strikes in Marawi City despite 'friendly fire incident' - AFP

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 1): No halt to air strikes in Marawi City despite 'friendly fire incident' - AFP

Suspension of air strikes in the ongoing clearing operations in Marawi City is the exclusive purview of the ground commanders.

This was disclosed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla after a SIAI-Marchetti SF-260 "Warrior" light attack/trainer aircraft accidentally bombed an Army unit involved in the ongoing clearing operations in the locality, killing 11 and wounding seven others Wednesday.

Bodies of the slain and wounded troops were immediately recovered by rescuing units.

He issued this statement when asked if whether the incident will mean the automatic suspension of air strikes in the ongoing offensive against the remaining Maute Group terrorists in Marawi City.

Only ground commanders have this authority as they are the only ones who have full knowledge of the "combat environment" where the action is taking place.

Despite this tragedy, Padilla said the AFP has been inflicting significant casualties to the Maute Group terrorists, who have plotted to burn down Marawi City, since fighting started May 23.

"The AFP has greatly diminished the number of the terrorists having neutralized so far 120 from the ranks of the terrorists and undetermined number of them wounded," he added.

Padilla added that government security forces continue to degrade the capability of the terrorists and have seized 98 high-powered firearms.

"However, the recalcitrant remnants of the Maute-ISIS refuse to heed the call of government to give up their arms and continued their resistance while holed in fortified buildings and structures," he pointed out.

"They are employing hostile sniper fires and IEDs (improvised explosive device) against everyone -- from government security forces, to relief and rescue workers, to civilians -- who get in the way of their fanatical desire to dismember Marawi from the Philippines and establish it as an ISIS province in this part of Asia," the AFP spokesperson stressed.

Padilla said that to break the resistance of the group and its will to fight, the AFP has decided to use combat support arms.

"Hence, we employed armor, artillery, and airpower capabilities in support to our infantry units to breach the fortified walls, decks, and undergrounds of buildings constructed to be virtual fortresses," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/992639