Battle of Marawi

Background

The Battle of Marawi was a consequence of the Philippines' long struggle against terrorism, in the aftermath of September 11 attacks in the United States, against the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) then linked with Al-Qaeda and now with the Islamic State. But the Battle of Marawi has been associated with the Maute group being its stronghold. The Maute group had established a stronghold in Lanao del Sur since February 2016 and was blamed for the 2016 Davao City bombing and two attacks in Butig, Lanao del Sur, a town located south of Marawi, in 2016. Since the militant group's founding in 2013, the Philippine government has downplayed the threat of ISIS in the Philippines. Following the February 2016 Butig clash with the Maute group, then-President Benigno Aquino III discounted the possibility of the Islamic State's presence in the country. He said that those behind the attack were just mercenaries wanting to be recognized by the Middle East-based terror group.