The Philippines is preparing to declare the end of fighting in a southern city seized for five months by pro-IS rebels, a top military commander says, as troops continued a phased withdrawal from the devastated lakeside city.
Only 20 insurgents remained in a small area in Marawi City, including five "significant" figures, and three battalions of troops were closing in on their positions, said Lieutenant-General Carlito Galvez.
"Most probably tomorrow, we can do it," Galvez told reporters on Saturday when asked when the military can declare fighting is over. "We can declare it is totally complete."
Galvez said troops are zeroing in on three sons of Isnilon Hapilon, the slain "emir" of Islamic State in Southeast Asia, and two Malaysians, including Amin Baco, who has been central to facilitating the movement of foreign fighters in the region.
"We cannot say our mission is totally accomplished or completed if the five persons are still there," he said, adding the remaining militants are "struggling to survive" and to protect their shrinking position.Another general told Reuters they were also looking for a prominent Indonesian militant. The military is concerned Hapilon's sons and these foreign fighters could succeed core leaders of the alliance killed this week.
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Hapilon and Omarkhayam Maute were killed by commandoes on Monday. Malaysian Mahmud Ahmad, who experts say may have funded the Marawi siege, was also dead, according to a freed hostage, but his body has yet to be found.
The Philippines estimates the rebuilding of areas battered by months of government air strikes could cost at least 50 billion Philippine pesos ($A1.2 billion).
