ISIS takes priest hostage and burns down church in major Philippine city

Heavily armed ISIS terrorists have stormed a city in the southern Philippines, engaging the Philippine Army in firefights and capturing most of the predominately Sunni city of Marawi.

Approximately 500 ISIS terrorists, known locally as the ‘Maute’ and ‘Abu Sayyaf’, have set up checkpoints and roadblocks across the city, brandishing state-of-the-art assault rifles.

New pictures of ISIS terrorists inside the city:

In addition to capturing the Amai Pakpak Hospita, releasing over a hundred prisoners from Marawi’s main jail and raising the black flag over the aforementioned government buildings, ISIS militants have torched the Cathedral of Our Lady and taken its priest Teresito Suganob hostage along with 13 other churchgoers.

Their capture was confirmed by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines today.

Meanwhile, residents of Marawi – home to over 200,000 people – were urged to stay indoors as Phillipino troops and special forces were deployed inside the city and a nearby village, retaking some lost points on Wednesday.

Troops and a special police force were deployed to the city after residents in a nearby village raised the alarm and appealed for help. Reinforcements are still arriving as we speak with the specialized 103rd Brigade leading the current counter-assault.

On Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law and a state of emergency in the province of Mindano in response to the ISIS insurgency.

“I’m appealing to residents of Marawi City to stay home, drop on the ground if they hear gunshots,” Mamintal Adiong Jr, the local governor said. Thousands of civilians have fled the city already.

Source: AMN