TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Philippine army on Sunday, June 25, declares an eight-hour ceasefire in its strike against militants occupying Marawi. The temporary truce is aimed at giving residents a time to celebrate the end of Ramadan or the Eid al-Fitr day.
The Military chief Gen. Eduardo Ano announced on Saturday that his troops will implement a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid for the people of Marawi, a Muslim city in the predominantly Catholic Philippine.
Read: Muslims in Asia Pray for Peace as Ramadan Holy Month Ends
"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect for the Islamic faith," Ano said as quoted by the Straits Times.
For over five weeks, Marawi has endured a fierce battle between the government's forces and the Maute militants linked with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Read: Philippines Wants to End Marawi Battle before Eid
Most of the lakeshore city is now in ruins, while most of its 200,000 residents have fled their homes.
STRAITS TIMES | YON DEMA
