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Heavily armed Muslim militants are said to have raised the flag of the Islamic State group over a city in the Philippines – as months of fighting in the countryside spilled over into urban areas.Five government soldiers were wounded in the clash after the military obtained intelligence that a top terror suspect was hiding out in Marawi in the Lanao del Sur province.
Regional military spokesman Lt. Col. Joar Herrera said troops and special forces attacked at least 15 fighters from a Muslim rebel group called Maute in the village of Basak Malutlut in Marawi.
‘We’re trying our best to contain the situation,’ Herrera said by telephone, adding that troops were moving carefully to avoid hitting civilians in the area of the fighting.
Officials could not immediately tell with clarity what was going on, and said they were checking reports that the militants had entered a hospital and raised a black Islamic State-style flag.