Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on May 24 confirmed martial rule in the southern Mindanao region following clashes between security forces and Islamic State militants in the city of Marawi.
Speaking at a press conference upon returning from a shortened visit to Moscow, Duterte confirmed that a police chief of an unnamed Lanao del Sur municipality had been beheaded. At least 21 people were killed, buildings were set on fire and a Catholic priest and churchgoers were kidnapped, according to authorities, NBC reported.
The Philippines’ GMA News quoted Duterte as saying: “The hardest thing to deal with is the arrival of ISIS in our country and it has come to pass that there is really war going on and street fighting in Marawi itself.”
