Philippine military declares Eid truce in war-torn city

Marawi : The Philippine military declared an eight-hour ceasefire Sunday in its offensive against Islamist militants occupying parts of the war-torn city of Marawi, to allow residents to celebrate the end of Ramadan.

Military chief General Eduardo Ano said his forces would implement a "humanitarian pause" during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in Marawi, the most important Muslim city in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

"We declare a lull in our current operations in the city on that day as a manifestation of our high respect to the Islamic faith," Ano said in a statement.

The Eid al-Fitr festival ends the fasting month of Ramadan when observant Muslims do not eat or drink between dawn and nightfall.

Hundreds of militants, flying the Islamic State group flag and backed by foreign fighters, seized swathes of Marawi in the southern region of Mindanao last month, sparking a bloody street battle.

Government troops have launched a relentless air and ground offensive in a bid to crush the militants but have failed to dislodge gunmen from entrenched positions in pockets of the city.

Much of the lakeside city is now in ruins while most of its 200,000 residents have fled to evacuation centres or to the homes of relatives and friends in other towns.

In Iligan just north of Marawi, evacuees from the conflict dressed in colourful flowing robes marked the end of Ramadan by holding prayers on the grounds of the city hall.

Armed commandos from the police Special Action force stood guard as the prayers were held.