Siege of Marawi (may 23, 2017 – oct 23, 2017)

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The siege of Marawi also known as the Marawi crisis and the Battle of Marawi, was a 5-month-long armed conflict in Marawi, Philippines, that started on 23rd May 2017, between Philippine government security forces against militants affiliated with the Islamic State (IS), including the Maute and Abu Sayyaf Salafi jihadist groups. The battle also became the longest urban battle in the modern history of the Philippines.

According to the Philippine government, the clashes began during an offensive in Marawi to capture Isnilon Hapilon, the leader of the Islamic State's affiliate Abu Sayyaf group, after receiving reports that Hapilon was in the city, possibly to meet with militants of the Maute group. A deadly firefight erupted when Hapilon's forces opened fire on the combined army and police teams and called for reinforcements from the Maute group, an armed group that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and which is believed to be responsible for the 2016 Davao City bombing, according to military spokesmen.

Maute group militants attacked Camp Ranao and occupied several buildings in the city, including Marawi City Hall, Mindanao State University, a hospital and the city jail. They also occupied the main street and set fire to Saint Mary's Cathedral, Ninoy Aquino School and Dansalan College, run by the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP). The militants also took a priest and several churchgoers hostage.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines stated that some of the terrorists were immigrants in the Philippines who had been in the country for a long time, offering support to the Maute group in Marawi. Their main objective was to raise the jihadist flag of the ISIL at the Lanao del Sur Provincial Capitol and declare a wilayat or provincial IS territory in Lanao del Sur.

On 17th October 2017, the day after the deaths of militant leaders Omar Maute and Isnilon Hapilon, Philippine president Duterte declared that Marawi was "liberated from terrorist influence". On 23rd October, Delfin Lorenzana, the Philippine Defence Secretary announced that the 5-month battle against the terrorists in Marawi had ended.

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