Gov’t troops retake Butig’s old municipal building from Maute Group

Government forces on Wednesday recovered from the Maute local terrorist group the old municipal building of Butig in Lanao del Sur.

“Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff General Ricardo Visaya expresses his elation that our troops have successfully retaken the old municipal hall of Butig,” Col. Edgard Arevalo, public affairs office chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said.

AFP Western Command spokesperson Major Filemon Tan, meanwhile, said troops have been able to take back 85 percent to 90 percent of the Poblacion of Butig occupied by the Maute Group in the past six days.

GMA News’ Jun Veneracion reported earlier that the military has been able to recover a Madrasah or Arabic school and a national high school.

Tan said that at least 61 members of the Maute Group have been killed and 12 more wounded in the ongoing operations.

On the part of soldiers, 35 have been wounded.

Arevalo, meanwhile, said they need the support and cooperation of Butig's residents to fully defeat the Maute Group.

“We exhort them to be vigilant and resist the influence of terrorists and lawless groups,” he said. —ALG, GMA News