Relief Packages Sent to Marawi as Army Reports Gains Against Islamist Attackers

The city government of Zamboanga said on May 29 that it had sent 300 sacks of rice, as well as boxes of sardines and noodles, to citizens of Marawi, Philippines, affected by the attack on their city by the Islamic State-linked separatists Maute.Local authorities said there were a total of 84,460 internally displaced persons who were either staying in designated evacuation centers or with relatives. There were “at least 3,717” people thought to be stranded in the city, and 59 people missing, the regional Bureau of Public Information said.The Philippine armed forces’ operations to clear Maute militants from Marawi continued on May 30, with one military spokesperson quoted by GMA News as saying, “Our forces are in complete control of the city, except for certain areas of the city where they continue to hold.”