Marawi

The government vowed to rebuild the city after the 2017 conflict with militants linked to ISIS. But more than 100,000 people are still in displacement camps, waiting for reconstruction.

The city has a rich heritage of buildings and mosques. Today, the battle scars are as prominent as ever and residents displaced by the conflict complain about the sluggish reconstruction.

Still, gunfire and explosions resounded as soldiers tried to clear what the government claims is the last pocket of resistance in Marawi City. A military spokesman said some 30 militants remained.

Partly to mark the end of Ramadan, the Philippine military declared a unilateral truce with ISIS-linked militants in the southern city. But not long after the peace expired, the violence resumed.

"We'd just taken all the safety gear off, because we were in what we thought was a very safe place in Marawi," said Australian reporter Adam Harvey. "But I guess it's not safe."

The U.S. is now giving "technical assistance" to the country's military, according to a Philippine spokesman. The news comes amid heavy fighting to take back the city from ISIS-linked militants.

Even as Philippine authorities report progress, large sections of the southern city remain under the control of ISIS-linked militants — who officials now believe have been planning for this moment.