Military in Philippine fights ISIL-linked terror group

World Today

A small militant group has raised the Islamic State’s flag as it seized the town of Butig in the Southern Philippines. The Philippine military has responded with an all-out offensive that has so far resulted in the death of dozens of extremists and more than a dozen injuries on the government’s side.

A small militant group has raised the Islamic State’s flag as it seized the town of Butig in the Southern Philippines. The Philippine military has responded with an all-out offensive that has so far resulted in the death of dozens of extremists and more than a dozen injuries on the government’s side.

CCTV’s Barnaby Lo reports from inside the war zone. Follow Barnaby Lo ‏on Twitter @barnabychuck

A conciliatory message from the usually feisty President Rodrigo Duterte, even as Philippine troops are engaged in a battle against a small criminal and terror group known as the Maute group.

That the Maute group had pledged allegiance to the extremist ISIL, had even raised the ISIL flag, however, was not lost on Duterte.

For now, he said he’s leaving everything to the military, which has been successful so far in pushing the Maute group away from the most populated areas of Butig, the town the ISIL-linked group had occupied.

For Butig Mayor Dimnatang Pansar, the fear is as real as it can get. His own house was fired on and shelled by the militants.