Mr. Mattis told reporters before his arrival on Monday that the Philippines had delivered a “very necessary message to the terrorists” in Marawi. Mr. Mattis and the other defense chiefs were expected to discuss Islamist militancy and other issues affecting the region, including North Korea’s nuclear pursuits and territorial disputes in the South China Sea. The fighting was set off on May 23, when the Philippine military moved to arrest Mr. Hapilon and was surprised by a huge rebel force that had stockpiled large numbers of weapons. President Rodrigo Duterte said last week that Marawi had been “liberated,” though officials later clarified that there were still fighters in the city. Mr. Lorenzana said the military had crushed the “most serious attempt to export violent extremism and radicalism” to the southern Philippines.

Source: New York Times October 23, 2017 08:48 UTC