Last month, ISIS-linked militants attempted to establish Southeast Asia’s first Islamic State caliphate on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao. What followed was a bid from the Philippines armed forces to crush the militants and re-establish order.Hundreds of well-equipped militants showed up to join the battle, which has entered its fifth week. But with most of the participants more accustomed to jungle fighting than urban warfare, battling in the city’s streets is proving harder than they expected.VICE News gained exclusive access to embed with the Philippines special forces as they battle ISIS in Marawi.
This segment originally aired June 27, 2017, on VICE News Tonight on HBO.