Philippine troops end five-month-long Marawi siege

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The five-month-long military operation against ISIL supporters in the city of Marawi in the southern Philippines has come to an end, the country’s Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday.

"We now announce the termination of all combat operations in Marawi," said Lorenzana on the sidelines of an ASEAN security meeting taking place in Clark, north of the country. "There are no more militants inside Marawi City."

Philippines Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana (L) and Armed Forces Chief Eduardo Ano (R) at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, Clark of Philippines, October 23, 2017. / CGTN Photo

Early Monday, 42 bodies were recovered from a building in the city where pro-ISIL militants mounted a final stand.

The Philippine military confirmed on Monday that they had rescued all the hostages in the city.

The Marawi crisis that began on May 23 claimed more than 1,000 lives.

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