Philippines warns Islamist militants to surrender or die
http://ift.tt/2r6Hjzr Philippine Marines aboard their truck drive past as smoke billows after military helicopters fired rockets at militant positions in Marawi on the southern island of Mindanao on May 30, 2017, as fighting rages on the eighth day. Marawi, a lakeshore city of minarets that is the centre of culture for the mainly Catholic Philippines' Muslim minority, is nearly empty after gunmen wielding black flags of the Islamic State (IS) group went on a rampage last week. / AFP PHOTO / TED ALJIBE Philippine authorities on Tuesday warned Islamist militants occupying parts of a southern city to surrender or die, as attack helicopters pounded the gunmen’s strongholds where up to 2,000 residents were feared trapped. More than 100 people have been confirmed killed in the conflict, which began last week when gunmen waving black flags of the Islamic State (IS) group rampaged through the mostly Muslim-populated city of Marawi. President Rodrigo Duterte declared martial law acros...