Wounded soldiers eye return to Marawi

Some wounded soldiers have expressed willingness to go back to Marawi City in order to hasten the clearing of the embattled city from the local terror group Maute.

In her exclusive report on Balitanghali on Thursday, GMA News' Marisol Abdurahman quoted an injured soldier as saying that it took them three days to reach one of the strongholds of the Maute group, where some soldiers have been trapped after their armored personnel carrier V150 and Simba were hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

"Kasi madami talaga 'yung kalaban, ang hirap hindi namin talaga ma-determine kung nasaan sila. Painstakingly we moved forward kahit medyo mahirap. House by house kami nag-close-in sa kanila," the soldier said.

He also said some members of his unit were wounded during the operation, but they were able to rescue the trapped soldiers and recover both of the armoured personnel carrier V150 and Simba.

Meanwhile, another team aims to recover one of the critical area in Marawi, where a madrasah school and a three-storey building are located. The Maute group are supposedly holed up in the area.

"'Yan yung mga ginagawang stronghold nila kasi syempre makapal 'yon at tsaka may mga underground kasi siya na mga rooms," a soldier said.

Despite the ongoing skirmishes, the government forces said their morale remains high and assured that they will return on the ground.

"Three days lang 'to, okay na 'ko. Babalik na 'ko," a soldier said.

"Lahat naman po kami... gusto bumalik," another soldier said, adding that he wants to celebrate his birthday in Marawi City despite the clashes there as it was a "rare opportunity."

"Rare opportunity po yun, once in a lifetime lang," he said.

Some of the soldiers who were just released from the hospital have already returned to Marawi City, the report said.

"Nakita mo yung willingness ng ating tropa to go back ang join their comrades and units, ito yung sabi nga yung fighting spirit ng ating kasundaluhan ," Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, commander of 4th Infantry Division, said.

About 91 soldiers are presently confined in Camp Evangelista station hospital.

"Yung mga na medyo stable na at tsaka nangangailangan ng rehabilitation at further treatment we evacuate them to V. Luna. May mga staff ng DOH naman na tumutulong sa atin," Madrigal said. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/KBK, GMA News