Philippines struggles with evacuees, bombed city after siege

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine officials say hundreds of displaced remain in emergency shelters as the threat of militants and unexploded bombs lingers in the ruins of a southern city that was held by Islamic State group-aligned fighters for five months last year.

The Rev. Teresito Soganub, who survived 117 days of captivity by the extremists in Marawi city, said Wednesday it will take years for him and others to overcome the horror of having lived through airstrikes and gunbattles that constantly threatened them.

The May 23 siege that troops crushed in October killed more than 1,100 mostly militants, sparked President Rodrigo Duterte's most serious crisis and reinforced Asia's fears that the Islamic State group is gaining a foothold in the region.