Funerals held for victims of Manila casino attack
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte says the attack is "not the work" of Daesh. Meanwhile, the Philippine government continues airstrikes against Maute fighters in the battle for Marawi City.
Relatives weep after learning their loved one was killed in a casino fire caused by a gunman at Resorts World in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
Funerals were held for some of the 36 victims of Thursday's Manila casino attack. A lone gunman had burst into a Manila casino, firing shots and setting game tables alight.
Most of those who were killed in the attack on the Resort World Casino are believed to have been suffocated by thick smoke. Police are yet to identify the sole gunman who also killed himself.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack, but police say the suspect was mentally unstable and that the 2.2 million dollars worth of casino chips found near his body, point to robbery. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also said on Saturday that the attack was "not the work" of Daesh.
Resorts World Manila has pledged compensate victims' families 20,000 dollars each, and released video showing how the terrifying attack unfolded.
TRT World's Dean Bernardo reports from Manila.
Battle for Marawi city continues
The Philippine government continues to carry out airstrikes against Daesh-linked fighters in Marawi City. The military has been trying to drive the fighters out of the city of Marawi for the past 11 days.
More than a hundred people have been killed and thousands displaced.
The Philippine Defence Secretary admitted on Friday that the deadline to retake the city from Maute by Friday could not be met as progress had been slow since the rebels have taken civilians as hostages and were using them as human shields.
TRT World spoke with Martin Thalmann, Deputy Head of the Delegation for the International Committee of the Red Cross about the impact of the battle on civilians.
Copyright © 2024 TRT World.