Inside Story

Can the Philippine army recapture Marawi?

Security forces in the Philippines are still struggling to take control of the southern city from ISIL-linked fighters.

The Philippine government has said it will be relentless in its fight against armed groups in the southern city of Marawi.

After an eight-hour truce put in place to allow people to celebrate the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, an air and ground offensive has resumed to push out hundreds of ISIL-linked fighters, who had taken control of the city last month.

Since the operation began, more than 350 people have been killed and at least 300,000 people have been forced to leave their homes.

So, how serious is the threat of armed groups in this region?

Presenter: Hazem Sika

Guests:

Richard Heydarian – Columnist for Manila Bulletin and professor at De La Salle University in Manila

Graham Ong-Webb – Research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore

Jose Custodio – Former deputy chief of staff for plans