MARAWI CITY — Three more soldiers died while 52 others were wounded when government security forces battled Maute gunmen and their allies over the control of another bridge inside the main battle area here on Thursday, the military said Friday.
Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, the Western Mindanao Command chief, said Thursday’s battle led to the takeover by the military of the Bayabao Bridge in Barangay Banggolo after Thursday’s intense day-long fighting that also saw the Maute Group’s massive use of improvised explosive devices against advancing troops.
Galvez said most of the injuries incurred by the military were from exploding IEDs.
He said the taking of the Bayabao Bridge also spelled another strategic win for the government after months of battling extremists here.
“The same with Mapandi Bridge, Banggolo is the gateway to the heart of the city. It’s also their supply route that’s why we needed to get it too,” Galvez said.
The Mapandi Bridge that Galvez referred to was officially known as the Baloi Bridge and was also taken over by the military this month as soldiers continued their push into the heart of the city, where Maute gunmen and their allies continued to stand their ground.
Zia Adiong, the spokesperson of the Lanao del Sur crisis management committee, said they wanted that the official names of the two bridges be used in new reporting.
He said the two other bridges in the city — the one in Raya Madaya — is officially known as the Masiu Bridge while the bridge at the Pumping Area is known as Unayan Bridge.
“These four bridges are named after the Four Principalities of Ranao (Pat a Pangampong sa Ranao),” Adiong said.