Filipino soldiers lie on a mattress at their combat position in a house as government troops continue their assault against insurgents from the Maute group in Marawi city, Philippines July 1, 2017. REUTERS/Jorge Silva
Reuters: Snipers, bombs, mortars - Philippine troops battle against Islamists
Sprawled on the boarded-up balcony of a two-storey house, the barrel of his rifle poked into a hole cut in the wood, the Philippine army sniper calls for quiet before taking his shot.
"Firing," he says evenly, before the .50 caliber shot rings out, sending tremors through the house. He was firing at a home less than a kilometer (a half mile) away, believed to be a stronghold of Islamist militants who have been holed up in Marawi City for over five weeks.
A spotter sat next to him, with his scope set into another hole. The two spoke quietly to each other as the sniper took three more shots across the Agus river into the militant-held commercial district of Marawi, now a battleground strewn with debris from ruined buildings. Scores of bodies are rotting in the area, and the stench mixes with the smell of gunpowder.
Thousands of soldiers are battling to retake the southern Philippine city, where militants loyal to Islamic State launched a lightning strike on May 23.
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The Battle To Retake The Philippine City Of Marawi From The Islamic State -- News Updates July 1, 2017
Death toll in Marawi rises to 429 – AFP -- GMA/AFP
Battle against ISIS in Philippine city continues -- NRT
Marawi crisis takes a toll on refugees' health -- CNN
Fighting in Philippine city displaces nearly 400,000 -- Channel news Asia/AFP
Duterte: No compromise with Maute terrorists -- Philippine Star
Updates on Marawi deaths make Duterte cry -- Inquirer
Duterte prevented from going to Marawi City -- Gulf News
Did Duterte say armed forces were caught off-guard against Maute group? -- The Independent
