The Philippines has become a home to those affiliated with the Islamic State for some time now. In 2015, 49 police officers were slaughtered entering an Islamic “No-Go” zone. Just two weeks ago, President Duterte declared martial law in the region due to Islamic jihad attacks, and has warned that he may expand it to the rest of the country. Some Islamic State members were seeking out Christians for beheading, but one Muslim man took 64 Christians and hid them in his home and protected them.
More than 160 people, nearly 50 children among them, were rescued from Marawi on Saturday, the army said. The city has become a key hot spot in the ongoing crackdown on terrorists, affiliated with Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) in the Western Pacific nation.
At least 20 civilians and 38 military died on Saturday, Reuters reported, citing officials, who added that some 120 terrorists had been killed.
With parts of the Philippines now full-blown war zones, civilians have found themselves under threat of being caught in the crossfire. Mass evacuations are underway in battle zones such as Marawi, RT’s Charlotte Dubenskij says, reporting from the city.
More evacuees #Marawi #Philippines as intense fighting between government troops & Islamist militants continues pic.twitter.com/OdR5rtOKdw
— Charlotte Dubenskij (@CDubenskij_RT) June 3, 2017
On Saturday, following an impromptu ceasefire to let civilians evacuate, fighter jets dropped bombs on the city center.
“We are afraid, sometimes helicopters fire at us, and the jihadists might kill us too,” a local man told RT.
Among those who were rescued this week, there were several Christians who were taken in by a Muslim man who is an Islamic writer and former politician named Noor Lucman.
Apparently, there were some Christians who were doing some repair work just a day ahead of all the fighting that took place, according to Lucman. Since they could not leave the city, he said, “I had to take responsibility in protecting them.”
“The following days, other Christian workers took refuge in my house. There were about 64 of them in my hands and I was very determined that nothing happens to them,” the man said, adding that the people he sheltered would only be revealed to terrorists “over [his] dead body.”
To find out what happened when ISIS knocked on his door, read the rest by Tim Brown and watch the video at Constitution.com.
