MANILA: Philippine troops have captured a key bridge leading to the main position of Daesh group-linked militants in the southern city of Marawi but won’t stage a major assault and will instead press efforts to rescue civilian hostages, an official said Monday.
Government troops gained control last week of Mapandi bridge, which leads to Marawi’s interior business district, where just 40 to 60 remaining militants are believed to be holding 80 to 100 hostages, mostly in a large mosque, said military spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla. But a major assault wasn’t imminent, he said.
“We now have direct access to ground zero,” Padilla said at a news conference in Manila, referring to the bridge over Marawi’s Agus River that can now be used to rapidly transport troops and combat supplies. “Our main objective is to rescue the hostages.”
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered troops to ensure the safety of the hostages and not launch a massive assault that can endanger the captives even if that prolongs the militant siege, which has already dragged for more than two months. More than 650 people have died in the violence, including 45 civilians.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed fears Monday that the militants, who have been using their hostages as human shields, may force some of the captives to serve as suicide bombers. “That’s one of the fears of our soldiers — they may let loose the civilians but force them to carry bombs,” Lorenzana told reporters.
Philippine troops capture key bridge near Marawi militants
Philippine troops capture key bridge near Marawi militants
Russia says two crew members from US-seized tanker released
- “Two Russian sailors have been released and are on their way home to Russia,” Zakharova said
- Russia announced earlier this month that the US had decided to release the Russian duo
MOSCOW: Moscow said Wednesday two Russian crew members of a tanker seized this month by the United States in the Atlantic had been released and were on their way home.
US authorities took over the Russian-flagged vessel earlier this month, alleging it was part of a shadow fleet carrying oil from countries such as Venezuela, Russia and Iran in violation of US sanctions.
The United States said publicly that the Marinera’s crew could be prosecuted. Russia said that would be “categorically unacceptable” and accused Washington of stoking tensions and threatening international shipping.
“Two Russian sailors have been released and are on their way home to Russia,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the state-run RIA Novosti news agency on Wednesday.
Russia announced earlier this month that the United States had decided to release the two Russian crew members, but last week its Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the decision had not yet been implemented.
The captain and the first officer of the tanker have left UK waters, Solicitor General for Scotland, Ruth Charteris told a court hearing Tuesday, Press Association news agency reported.
“The captain and the first officer are now aboard the US Coast Guard vessel Munro and have departed the United Kingdom’s territorial sea,” Charteris said.
Twenty-six of the 28 crew have left the ship, officials told AFP. They were processed at a military site in Inverness, Scotland, the court was told, according to Press Association.
Five wanted to travel to the United States and 21 elsewhere. None have claimed asylum, the court heard.
“At the request of the US authorities, crew members have been allowed to disembark for onwards travel,” a UK government spokesperson told AFP Wednesday.
“They will be processed in line with all appropriate immigration and legal requirements.”
Britain was not involved in the movement of the other two crew members, the government said.
The United States seized the tanker, previously known as Bella 1, which was being escorted by the Russian navy, after chasing it from near the Venezuelan coast.
It was re-flagged and re-named to bring it under Russian jurisdiction in a bid to discourage the United States from trying to take it as part of its campaign against Venezuela.
