"This is supposed to a day of happiness," said Imam Aleem Ansari Abdul Malik, who led Sunday's prayers. "Families should be together but they were torn apart by violence, some lost their loved ones and thousands are in evacuation centres." "This is just a small fire, do not allow the flames the go bigger by joining extremists," he said. Big ambitionsThe seizure of the town by the Maute group and its affiliates has caused the biggest internal security crisis in decades for the Philippines, and a realisation that the long-feared arrival of Islamic State could be a reality. He said Abdullah Maute and Isnilon Hapilon, the Islamic State anointed "emir" of Southeast Asia, were no longer calling the shots in Marawi.

Source: bd News24 June 25, 2017 09:11 UTC