Philippine president declares marawi liberated islamists

On October 17, 2017, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared that the city of Marawi, which was besieged by Islamist militants for five months, had been "liberated" from the control of the Maute Group and other terrorist organizations.

The siege of Marawi began on May 23, 2017, when the Maute Group, a local terrorist organization affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS), attacked the city and took control of several key areas. The Philippine military responded with a large-scale operation to retake the city, but the fighting was intense and the city remained under siege for months.

In the end, the Philippine military was able to retake the city, but not before the Maute Group and other terrorist organizations had destroyed much of the city and displaced thousands of people. The siege of Marawi was one of the most significant security crises faced by the Philippine government during Duterte's presidency.

The declaration of Marawi's liberation was made by Duterte during a visit to the city on October 17, 2017. He praised the bravery and sacrifice of the Philippine military and police forces who fought to retake the city, and vowed to rebuild and restore the city to its former glory.

The liberation of Marawi was seen as a major victory for the Philippine government and a significant blow to the terrorist organizations that had taken control of the city. However, the siege also highlighted the ongoing threat posed by terrorist organizations in the Philippines and the need for continued vigilance and cooperation between the government and the international community to combat terrorism.