Hanoi (VNA) – A top military general of the Philippines said on June 13 that Islamicmilitants are controlling 20 percent of the southern city of Marawi in Mindanaoisland.

LieutenantGeneral Carlito Galvez, head of military command in Western Mindanao, toldreporters that out of 96 areas, the Islamic militants are holding portions inMarinaut, Lulut, Mapandi and Bongolo commercial district, which only comprise20 percent of the whole Marawi city and it is getting smaller every day.

Earlier, theself-proclaimed Islamic State (IS)'s news agency, Amaq, said IS fighters arespread in more than two-thirds of Marawi and tighten the chokehold on thePhilippine army that is incapable of maintaining control of the situation. Butmilitary spokesman Brigadier General Restituto Padilla branded the Amaq report"pure propaganda".

Almost theentire population of Marawi of about 200,000 people fled after the militantsattacked the city. However, the Philippine military believed that there are500-600 people trapped or being held hostage.

According tomilitary spokesman Padilla, by June 13, about 58 security officers and 26civilians were killed during the clashes in Marawi.

The fighting betweenthe Philippine military and the Islamic militants broke out on May 23.President Rodrigo Duterte then announced martial law on Mindanao island to stopthe escalating threat from IS there. The US special force recently providedtechnical support to the Southeast Asian country’s army in the fights in Marawito free the city.-VNA